a leafless, spineless, succulent shrublet, apparently about 9–12 in. high, mostly trichotomously branched, diœcious, only a male specimen seen; main stems or branches 1 1/2–2 lin. thick (dried), lateral branches 2/3–1 lin. thick, opposite, diverging from each other at an angle of about 70°–80° and rising in a corymbose manner to about the same level, distinctly 6-angled, with slight furrows between the angles, rough from minute hard papillæ; leaves rudimentary, opposite, abruptly reflexed from their base, 1–1 1/4 lin. long and as much in breadth, triangular-subhastate in outline from a minute spreading point or angle at their base, fleshy, purplish-black (dried), glabrous; cymes small, about 1/3– 1/2 in. long and 1/4– 1/3 in. in diam., in opposite pairs racemosely arranged along the branches; bracts about 2/3 lin. long, very broadly obovate or suborbicular, sometimes with a minute tooth on one or both sides at or below the middle, subapiculate, fleshy, glabrous, dark purple; involucre about 1 1/2 lin. in diam., cup-shaped, glabrous, dark purple, with 5 glands and 5 subquadrate minutely toothed lobes; glands 1/3– 1/2 lin. in diam., transversely elliptic or suborbicular, entire, dark purple; ovary and capsule not seen. null
