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Erect, much branched, spiny shrubs ± 2,0— 2,5 m high, with the young stems and branches shallowly zigzagging, ribbed, whitish, minutely hispidulous or glabrous, turning brown and smooth with age. Rhizome typical. Roots cylin­drical, thick. Spines short, hard, straight or slightly curved, present on stems, branches and below cladode fascicles. Cladodes on branches and branchlets, up to 60 in a fascicle, filiform, up to 35 mm long when mature, fairly equal in length, shorter in some forms. Flowers 1-8, on outside of cladode fascicles; tepals loosely spreading, white; stalks articulated below centre. Stamens with red or orange anthers. Ovary with + 6 ovules in each locule; style short with 3 short, spreading stigmas. Berry ± 5 mm in diameter, red, usually pendulous, tipped by the short style. Figure 8.