dwarf, succulent, spiny and leafless; rootstock obconic or somewhat carrot-shaped, 3–4 in. thick, fleshy, subterranean, producing numerous branches at its apex; branches erect, 1 1/4–5 1/2 in. long and up to 1 in. in diam. at the broadest parts, 3–4-angled, the shorter more or less clavate, the others with 1–4 constrictions, so that they falsely appear to be somewhat jointed, glabrous; angles compressed, irregularly toothed, with the larger teeth collected upon the more dilated parts of the branches, 2–5 lin. apart and 1–3 lin. prominent, deltoid; spine-shields extending above the spines to the flowering-eyes and below them into acute points, but not forming a continuous horny margin to the angles, bearing 2 pairs of spines, a pair close to the flowering-eye 1/4–1 lin. long or sometimes quite rudimentary, and a pair at the apex of the tooth 2–4 lin. long, diverging, grey; leaves quite rudimentary, 1/8– 1/3 lin. long, 1/2– 2/3 lin. broad, transverse, truncate, often represented by a raised line; flowers and fruit not seen. null