Succulent shrub or small tree to 4–5(10) m high; trunk stout, with arcuate-ascending branches.Branches sparingly rebranched, 3–4-winged, deeply constricted into segments; segments to 32(40) × 20 cm, usually oblong, or ± broadly deltate or ovate; wings broad, to 2 mm thick, wings conspicuously undulate, with tubercles 1.5–3 cm apart along the margins.Spine shields joined to form a continuous horny margin to the wings; spines stout, spreading, to 15 mm long, longest at the widest part of the wings of the branch segments.Cymes 1–6 and randomly arranged at each flowering eye, simple, lateral cyathia vertically arranged; peduncles and cyme branches 7–12.5 mm long, c. 5 mm in diameter; bracts to 4–5.5 × 5.5–7 mm, broadly ovate.Cyathia 6 × 8–10 mm, broadly funnel-shaped; glands c. 3.25 × 4–5 mm, transversely broadly elliptic, outer margin ± undulate; lobes 2.5 mm long, obovate, keeled, margin fimbriate.Male flowers c. 50: bracteoles laciniate; stamens c. 6 mm long.Female flower: perianth 3-lobed, 6 mm in diameter; ovary subglobose; styles c. 4.5 mm long, united for 2 mm, apices shortly bifid, rugulose.Capsule deeply lobed, c. 8 × 18–21 mm, base truncate, exserted on a pedicel to 8 mm long, 3.5 mm in diameter.Seeds c. 3.5 mm in diameter, subglobose, buff mottled brownish.
