An erect, much branched shrublet 0.5-0.7 m in height, to 0.5 m in diam., with numerous 10-15 mm diam. stems arising from a subterranean caudex, very occasionally with a short single main stem to 20 mm in diam., swollen at base to form a bulbous caudex. Stems highly branched, woody, 2-5 mm in diam., with short (20-50 mm) growth increments; glabrous, covered with dark verrucose bark; leaf scars prominent; bare of leaves except for ultimate and penultimate growth increments. Leaves erect, ascending, oblanceolate-elliptic, glaucous, glabrous, 40-60 mm long, 7-13 mm wide; apices obtuse, margins distinct. Inflorescence globose, 40-50 mm in diam., surrounded by several axillary shoots. Receptacle conic, acute, 10 mm wide, 10-12 mm in height. Involucral bracts 3-4 seriate, greenish cream to dirty pink, glabrous; inner series linear-oblong, 25-30 mm long, 3-7 mm wide, apices rounded, slightly concave; outer series broadly ovate, 10-15 mm long, 10 mm wide, margins brown. Perianth 30-35 mm long, slightly adaxially curved; tube region 10 mm long, glabrous externally but inner margins densely setose distally; claws sparsely setose with a ferruginous indumentum on inner and outer surface; limbs 10 mm long, apices sharply acuminate, outer surface sparsely setose with a tawny ferruginous indumentum. Anthers 4, subsessile, 5-6 mm long, filaments 1.5 mm long. Style 35-40 mm long, adaxially curved, tapering subterminally, white. Pollen presenter very narrowly linear, simple, scarcely differentiated from style, 10 mm long, pink. Ovary obconic, 5-6 mm long, covered with long, straight, tawny trichomes. Hypogynous scales lanceolate, acuminate, 1-5 mm long.
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