a much-branched leafless and spineless succulent shrub, 1 1/2–2 ft. high; only upper portions of three main branches or stems bearing a few lateral branches seen; branches more or less constricted or jointed at their origin, opposite or sometimes alternate (except at the inflorescence) from only one branch at each node being developed, diverging from the stem from which they arise at an angle of 20°–35°, terete or (when dried) sometimes very distinctly 6-angled, with concave sides between the angles, scabrous, especially on the older parts, with very small crowded laterally compressed tubercles or crenations, glabrous; leaves rudimentary and scale-like, opposite, sessile, about 1/2 lin. long, ovate or deltoid-ovate, acute or obtuse, recurved and concave-channelled at the apical part, dark brown, soon deciduous; cymes terminal, 1/2–1 1/2 in. in diam., consisting of 2 opposite diverging branchlets 1/2–1 in. long, each forking once or twice into shorter branchlets bearing 3 involucres, but flowers are wanting on the specimens and are not described by Thunberg; bracts scale-like, sessile, 1/4– 1/2 lin. long, very broadly ovate, acute to very obtuse, dark brown. null
