plant rather compactly branched at the base; stems erect, 3–5 in. high, 3/8– 1/2 in. square, very obtusely 4-angled, with the faces slightly grooved, not toothed on the angles, but with an impressed transverse line at the base of the erect 1/2– 3/4 lin.-long rudimentary leaves, minutely puberulous, very smooth-looking, greyish-green, with the grooves and impressed lines darker, usually blotched with purple where exposed to the sun; flowers 2–6 together at the base of the young stems; pedicels 2–3 (in fruit 6–8) lin. long, puberulous; sepals 2–2 1/2 lin. long, lanceolate-subulate, puberulous; corolla in bud ovoid, subobtuse, when expanded 1 1/4–1 3/4 in. in diam., with very spreading or slightly recurved lobes 5–7 lin. long, 4–5 lin. broad, ovate, acute, puberulous and dull green on the back, inner face deeply and closely rugose, glabrous, ciliate with white simple hairs, varying from pale olive to dark olive-green with the rugosities brown, or sometimes entirely dull brownish-red; outer corona-lobes ascending-spreading, 1–1 1/2 lin. long, narrowly deltoid-subulate, acute, dark purple-brown, with a smooth polished central stripe from the base to the middle; inner corona-lobes 2-horned, dark purple-brown; inner horn 2–2 1/2 lin. long, erect or very slightly recurving, slenderly filiform; outer horn erectly recurved, 3/4–1 1/2 lin. long, falcately subulate, laterally compressed; follicles 3 1/2–4 in. long, about 1/4 in. thick, narrowly fusiform, acute, puberulous; seeds not seen; odour strong, fetid. null
