Erect, nonspinous, glabrous, greyish green herbs (chamaephytes), ± 0,3-0,4 m high. Rhizome compact. Roots numerous, terete, ± 3 mm in diameter, hard, covered by a velamen of root hairs. Stems erect, ribbed, minutely strigose; branches spreading; branchlets at right angles to branches, 20—30 mm long, closely beset by overÂlapping cladode fascicles. Cladodes soft, ± 5 per fascicle, filiform, slightly curved, unequally long, 5—10 mm long. Flowers 1 or 2 at apex of branch-lets, pendulous; tepals narrowly oblong, ± 4 mm long, white or off-white; stalk recurved, ± 4 mm long, articulated above middle. Stamens shorÂter than tepals; anthers yellow. Ovary oblong-globose; ovules 6 in each locule; style about as long as ovary with 3 short branches and apical stigmas. Berry not seen. Herbae (chamaephyta) erectae aspinosae glabrae griseo-virides ± 0,3—0,4 m altae. Rhi-zoma compactum; radices multae, teretes, ± 3 mm diametro, durae, velamine ex radicibus capil-laceis constanti tectae. Caules erecti costati, minute strigosi; rami patentes; ramuli ad angu-lum 90° patentes, 20—30 mm longi, dense tecti fasciculis imbricatis cladodiorum. Cladodia mollia, in quoque fasciculo ± 5,filiformia, sub-curvata, inaequilonga, 5—10 mm longa. Flores 1 vel 2 ad apicem ramulorum, penduli; tepala anguste oblonga, ± 4 mm longa, nivea vel 'sordide alba'; pedicellus recurvatus, + 4 mm longus, supra medium articulatus. Stamina tepa-lis breviora, antheris flavis. Ovarium oblongo-globosum, ovulis in quoque loculo 6. Stylus ovario ± aequilongus, ramis brevibus 3, stigmati-bus apicalibus. Baccam non vidi.
