twigs scarcely downy; leaves scattered, horizontally patent from the base, sessile, ovate, obtuse, sub-trigonous, flat above, convex beneath, fleshy, glaucous, glabrous; flowers sessile, capitate-aggregate; petals twice as long as the calyx, obovate, obtuse, bearded in the middle. A greyish shrub, taller and stronger than the preceding, with more rigid branches, mostly trichotomous; it differs also in having smaller leaves (1/2–1 line long), all equal, horizontal, laxly set on the branches, thick, rigid, sub-globose beneath, and three-angled by the prominent nerve, with several rows of glands. Flowers nearly as in M. squarrosa, but a little smaller. Calyx sub-angulate, the lobes obtuse, ciliolate. Petals reddish, long-bearded. Style thrice as long as the calyx. Capsule glabrous, 5–6 lines long, with 3–5 oblong carpels, with reflexed horns.—Var. β., besides the characters given above, has shortly pedunculate flowers, and petals not much longer than the calyx.
