Dwarf succulent usually consisting of several small clumps connected by ± horizontal rhizomes, sometimes forming dense to diffuse clumps 60-500 mm diam. Stems 40-150 mm long, 10-20 mm thick (excluding teeth), stout, erect to spreading from shortly horizontal to extensively subterranean base, grey-green to reddish mottled with red to purple; tubercles (6-)10-15 mm long, joined into 4 narrowly obtuse continuous wing-like rows along stem with deep groove between rows, laterally flattened, forming spreading to slightly decurved acute broadly to narrowly deltoid tooth usually with pair of small denticles near apex. Inflorescences 1-6(-10) per stem mainly in upper half, each with 1-2(-3) flowers developing in rapid succession, with 1-3 lanceolate acute bracts 1-2 mm long; pedicel (1-)2-6(-12) mm long, 1-2 mm thick, spreading to descending so flower often nodding; sepals 2.5-5.0 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm broad at base, ovate to lanceolate, acuminate. Corolla 6-20 mm diam., campanulate, fleshy (0.5-1.5 mm thick in tube); outside pale green spotted with purple to uniformly pink or cream; inside irregularly rugulose, with scattered erect spike-like papillae up to 1 mm long, uniformly yellow or maroon to pale brown or maroon with irregular reticulated cream markings or whitish with dark purple flecks; tube 2.5-4.0 mm long, 4-7 mm broad, cupular, pentagonal, mouth constricted by inward-pointing annulus, nearly to completely containing gynostegium; lobes 3-5 mm long, 6-8 mm broad at base, deltate-ovate, acute, rigidly spreading to ascending, with spreading fold in each sinus and few small rigid clavate cilia up to 1 mm long along margin near base. Corona 3-4 mm tall, 4 mm broad, cream with purple-red patches, with very short stipe or sessile; outer lobes erect then spreading, spreading part entire and truncate-emarginate to deeply bifid into narrowly deltoid lobules, fused laterally ± in middle to inner lobes to form urceolate cup exceeding anthers, channelled along middle; inner lobes ±1 mm long, adpressed to backs of anthers and slightly exceeding them, ± linear, truncate to acute, often very thick, with thick obtuse dorsal gibbosity.
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