Dwarf succulent forming diffuse clump up to 300 mm diam., not rhizomatous. Stems 40-60 mm long, 6-8 mm thick (excluding teeth), branching from base, erect to shortly decumbent, green mottled with purple-brown; tubercles 6-15 mm long, arranged loosely into 4 obtuse rows along stem ± with groove between rows, tapering into prominent slender conical-acute ascending-spreading tooth often with pair of small denticles shortly below apex. Inflorescence 1 per stem near base, of 1-6 flowers developing successively occasionally on stout peduncle <5 mm long; pedicel 20-55 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm thick, spreading horizontally with upturned apex; sepals 5.5-7.0 mm long, 1.5-2.0 mm broad at base, narrowly ovate-acuminate. Corolla 30-45 mm diam., rotate to slightly reflexed; inside red-brown to deep maroon-brown, rarely faintly transversely barred with yellow; tube ±1.5 mm deep, conical, formed entirely by thick cushion-like to ± dome-shaped smooth to slightly rugulose annulus often slightly darker than or paler than lobes; lobes 12-18 mm long, 6-10 mm broad at base, spreading to somewhat reflexed, ovate and shortly acuminate to narrowly ovate-acuminate, convex with margins sometimes quite strongly recurved, lightly to heavily transversely rugulose, very finely papillate, with clavate vibratile marginal cilia up to 2 mm long. Corona ±4.5 mm tall, 4.5-7.0 mm broad, darker than annulus to almost black, raised on short stout obtusely pentagonal stipe ±1 mm long; outer lobes 1.5-2.0 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm broad, more or less truncate and obtusely dentate or crenulate at apex, with 2 raised fleshy ridges forming trough running down centre, resting on annulus; inner lobes 1.2-2.0 mm long, adpressed to backs of anthers, sometimes exceeding them then shortly connivent-erect in centre, dorsiventrally flattened and broadly ovate below, acuminate, margins sometimes slightly raised (then lobes channelled above) and occasionally with 1-2 small obtuse teeth, sometimes with small dorsal tubercle.
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