Succulent spiny shrubs or tree-like shrubs to 1.5(3) m high, with a short stout ± cylindric trunk, to c. 10 cm in diameter.Branches crowded, spreading-ascending, rebranching, dark grey-green, (4)5–7(8)-angled, constricted into segments, eventually falling with age; segments subconical to ± circular, 5–15 cm long, 3–4 cm in diameter; angles ± winged, shallowly sinuate, with tubercles 6–10 mm apart along the margins.Spine shields forming a ± continuous horny margin along the angles, 2–3 mm wide, sometimes interrupted at the flowering eyes; spines to 6 mm long, spreading, much reduced at the constrictions; prickles minute or absent.Leaves to 20 × 6–7 mm on young growth, oblong-lanceolate, reduced to 1.5–2 mm long on older growth, triangular, scale-like, caducous.Cymes solitary, 1–2-forked; peduncle and cyme branches c. 2 mm long; bracts 1.5 × 2 mm.Cyathia with involucres 2.5–3 × 6–7 mm, campanulate; glands c. 3 mm wide, transversely oblong, touching, greenish-yellow; lobes c. 2 mm wide, fimbriate.Male flowers: bracteoles c. 2.5 mm long, laciniate; stamens far exserted, pedicels c. 4 mm long, filaments c. 4 mm long.Female flower: styles 2–4 mm long, free to below the middle, with bifid tips.Capsule obtusely lobed, c. 4 × 7 mm, exserted on a recurved pedicel 7–8 mm long.Seed c. 2 mm in diameter, subglobose, smooth.