Suberect, many stemmed, intricately branched, foetid shrub, ± 0.6-1.5 m tall, with whitish grey stems, often ± cushion-like with spine-tipped branches. Leaves 4-ranked, tightly clustered on older parts, ± terete, fleshy. Flowers shortly pedicellate, in terminal clusters on new growth, whitish, ovary densely hairy.