succulent, spineless; main body of the plant globose or subcylindric, in the specimen seen 4 in. high and 3 in. in diam., covered with transversely diamond-shaped tubercles about 1/2 in. in their greater diam. and 1/4 in. prominent, arranged in numerous crowded spirals, and formed by the persistent remains of the deciduous branches, at first grey, becoming brown; branches covering the whole top of the plant, not absent from the centre, erect or ascending, 3/4–2 in. long, 2–3 lin. thick in the dried specimen, probably twice as thick when alive, cylindric, scarcely or not at all tuberculate, but marked out by impressed lines into elongated areas 1–3 lin. long and 3/4–1 lin. broad when dried, scarcely or not at all prominent, marked at their apex with a conspicuous white round leaf-scar, glabrous; leaves not seen; peduncles 2–4 clustered at the apex of the branches, 1–3 lin. long, bearing about 4 bracts and 1 involucre, glabrous, persisting and withering; bracts 1 lin. long, 2/3– 3/4 lin. broad, obovate, concave, thin, ciliate with rather long hairs; involucre 2–2 1/2 lin. in diam. and 1–1 1/4 lin. deep, shallowly cup-shaped, glabrous outside and within, but apparently woolly within from being filled with very woolly white stamens, with 5 glands and 5 transversely oblong lobes ciliate with white woolly hairs; glands distant, apparently deflexed-spreading, 3/4–1 lin. in their greater diam., transversely oblong, with a slight depression in front of the inner margin and 3–4 subulate teeth 1/4– 1/3 lin. long along the outer margin, dark velvety brown; ovary included in the involucre, obconic, trigonous, densely covered with white woolly hairs; styles 1/2 lin. long, very shortly united at the base, stout, with entire spreading tips. null
