Succulent, mound-forming shrublet, up to 0.15 m tall, with swollen, caudiciform stem. Leaves crowded at branch tips, oblanceolate-obovate, narrowed to a petiole-like base, mostly 10-40 x 5-10 mm, woolly in axils. Flowerheads forming subumbellate clusters at branch tips, 1 or 2 on stiff peduncles that become spinescent to form simple or bifurcate thorns 15-30 mm long, disciform, greenish yellow; involucre campanulate, ± 5 mm diam., bracts 5, ± 4x 1.5 mm. Cypselas 1.25 mm long, glabrous but striate-scabridulous; pappus 2-3 mm long.
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