Many-stemmed rhizomatous shrub 0·5–3 m. high. Young twigs thinly to densely crispate-puberulous, reddish-brown, the surface ± smooth or finely and shallowly wrinkled; older twigs with rough whitish flaking bark. Spines either furcate or bifurcate, the axis 3–12 mm. long, the first branches 5-12 mm., the second branches 6-16 mm. long. Leaves moderately coriaceous, drying discolorous, the upper surface dark grey or brown, the lower surface paler, green or brown; petiole c. 2 mm. long, glabrous or minutely puberulous. Lamina 1·5–3·5(5) x 0·7–2(3) cm., ovate to narrowly ovate or elliptic, rarely subcircular, with apex usually acute, rarely obtuse, mucronate and base rounded to cuneate; upper surface glabrous, midrib impressed, lateral nerves faintly raised, very inconspicuous; lower surface glabrous or sparsely puberulous on midrib, midrib raised, lateral nerves invisible; margin revolute. Flowers pentamerous, solitary between two spines, shortly pedicellate. Calyx 4–5 mm. long, sepals subulate, dorsally puberulent. Corolla white; tube 11–16 mm. long, pubescent externally, pilose internally in the upper 2/3 to 3/4; lobes 9–21 mm. long, elliptic, overlapping to the left, pubescent below, glabrous or pubescent above. Stamens inserted at or just above the middle of the corolla tube; anthers subsessile, 1·5–2·5 mm. long. Gynoecium c. 4·5 mm. long, stigma not reaching to base of anthers; ovary c. 1 mm. long, ovoid, smooth, glabrous; style tapering, glabrous; stigma c. 1 mm. long, 2-lobed. Fruits c. 1·5 cm. long when ripe, subglobose, red, edible, 8-seeded. Seeds c. 5 mm. long, ovate in outline, discoid.
