Stems unarmed, up to 100 cm. long, 0.4-2 mm. in diameter, often bushy above because of the curved leaves.. Leaves 3.2-20(-29) mm. long, flat, bulky or fleshy, acute, linear-lanceolate, 0.56-2.40(-3.22) mm. wide including teeth on both sides (0.16-)0.24-1(-1.6) mm. wide excluding teeth; margin on each side serrulated with (2-)5-12(-16) conspicuous spiny teeth on broad to very broad triangular excrescences; teeth 0.15-1.38 mm. long, the ratio of teeth-length to leaf-width being (0.35-)0.55-1.57(-3.08); midrib without spines; septa clearly visible; fibres absent; sheath rounded or sloping, (1.21-)1.5-2.3(-3.87) mm. (including spine-cells) × (1.1-)1.46-2.68(-5.8) mm. (ratio = 0.5-1.4), serrulate or lacerate with 1-15 spine-cells on each side.. Male and ♀ flowers solitary, generally on different branches (? different plants).. Male flower 1.3-2.9(-3.5) (including spathe-neck) × 0.32-1.2 mm.; the neck of the spathe 0.32-0.72 mm., tapering at the top, bearing brownish spine-cells on the apex; inner envelope protruding 0.16-0.4 mm. above the anther; anther 0.88-2.3 × 0.55-1.2 mm., tetrasporangiate.. Female flower naked, (1.3-)2-3(-4.2) mm. long; ovary 0.5-2.4 × 0.2-0.9 mm.; style and stigma 0.64-1.77 mm.; stigma 2-3-lobed.. Fruit with persistent membranous pericarp and style-remnants.. Seed elliptic-oblong, 1.6-3.2 × 0.48-0.84 mm. (ratio = 3.2-4.2); areoles squarish, rectangular or seldom hexagonal, 0.05-0.1 mm. long, regularly arranged in longitudinal rows of (18-)25-35(-40).
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