very dwarf, succulent, spineless; body of the plant 1 1/4–2 1/2 in. (or perhaps more) in diam., subglobose (or obconic?), flattened at the top, with a crown of radiating branches surrounding a large central area densely covered with conical tubercles, glabrous; branches in about 3 series, radiating, the outer 2/3–1 1/4 in. long and 3–4 lin. thick (dried), the inner gradually shorter, cylindric, very obtuse, covered with small slightly prominent tubercles about 1 1/2 lin. in diam.; leaves soon deciduous, 1–3 lin. long, linear-lanceolate, acute, spreading or erect, only present at the tips of growing branches, glabrous; involucres sessile or on peduncles 1/2–1 lin. long, surrounded by 3–4 subquadrate toothed membranous scale-like bracts, produced at the circumference of the central area and on the very young branches, about 3 lin. in diam., cup-shaped, glabrous, with 5 glands and 5 subquadrate many-toothed lobes; glands 1–1 1/3 lin. in their greater diam., transversely oblong or elliptic-oblong, sometimes nearly or quite entire, at others with few or several short teeth along the outer margin, probably concave, as in dried specimens the outer and inner margins are often infolded, apparently greenish or greenish-yellow; ovary sessile, glabrous; styles united into a column 2/3– 3/4 lin. long, with spreading broadly cuneate arms 1/2– 2/3 lin. long, slightly notched at the apex; capsule and seeds not seen. null
