Spreading, or nearly decumbent or rarely prostrate shrubs to 0.3–2 (–4) m high, usually stiffly and divaricately branched (subsp. divaricatus), or plants not divaricately branched, and branches slender and pliable (subsp. angustifolius), hermaphroditic. Branchlets glabrous, or rarely, hispidulous, tapering abruptly to thick spines, lateral spines absent; branching angle mostly 60°–85°. Juvenile leaves resembling adults, oblong to obovate, (4–) 9–22 (–27) mm long, (1.2–) 2–3 (–4.5) mm wide, solitary or in fascicles of 2–6, subsessile or sessile, margins entire or with 1 or 2 shallow teeth on each margin; apex obtuse; leaves with stomata on both surfaces, glabrous, or with minute, scattered hairs just above base; lateral veins usually not apparent. Inflorescences 1-or 2-(rarely 3-) flowered, axillary to old leaves or their petiole scars, or scattered along stems. Flowers pedicellate with a pair of small bracteoles between base and mid-point; pedicels 1.5–3 mm long; sepals unequal, imbricate, 0.6–2 mm long; corolla campanulate, cream 2.2–3.2 mm long; anthers sessile, obovate, 1.1–1.3 mm long, with a membranous, orange-brown, fimbriate appendage, exceeding anthers by up to 1.3 mm; ovary ovoid, c. 1.5 mm long; style 1–1.5 mm long. Berry ellipsoid to ovoid, 7–8 mm long, 5–7 mm diam., maturing to mottled bluish-grey and white or completely white; seeds 1 or 2, 3–4 mm long, plano-convex in section.
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