Erect short-stemmed herb 30 cm high. Leaves rosulate, 5–7, in cross-section semicircular, 12–30 cm long, 2.8–3.5 cm wide (thickness just below the middle), thickly fleshy, uniformly green, the side facing inwards concave-angular with horny edges, the outer side convex and 2–7-dented, tapering towards the cuspidate, horny, very sharp spine, upper surface deeply channelled, margins of the channel sharp, brown, horny, underside with 2–7 more or less well defined longitudinal grooves, rounded. Inflorescence a subterminal erect panicle 15–32 cm long, axis 5–6 mm diameter at the base, equalling or hardly exceeding the leaves, gradually tapering towards the apex, branched in the upper half; flowers 4–6 per cluster; lower inflorescence bracts 1–2, the upper ones subtending the branchlets; branchlets 6–9, the lowest to 5 cm long, the upper branchlets increasingly shorter, horizontally spreading; bracteoles broadly triangular, acute, membranous; pedicel 1.5–2 mm long. Flower perianth tube cylindrical, 4–5 mm long with a slightly inflated base, lobes 3–4 mm long, 0.7–1 mm wide; stamens equalling the perianth, filaments free from the base of the lobes, anthers 1.6–2 mm long; style slightly exceeding the anthers. Fruit a globose berry, very few reaching maturity.
