Information

A stout succulent leafless bush 2–3 ft. high, much branched from the base, armed with very long spines. Branches erect or ascending, very deeply constricted into subsagittate-ovate or -reniform segments 2–3 in. long and 2 1/2–3 1/2 in. in diam., and probably larger, 3-angled, with a solid central part 3/4–1 in. thick, glabrous; angles much compressed, wing-like, 1–1 1/2 in. broad and 1/6– 1/4 in. thick, with continuous horny greyish-white wavy margins. Leaves rudimentary, scale-like, about 1/3 lin. long and 1/2 lin. broad, ovate. Spines very stout, 1/2–2 1/2 in. long and 1–1 1/2 lin. thick at the base, in pairs 3/4–1 1/2 in. apart, widely diverging, pale brown or greyish. Flowering-eyes seated midway between the spine-pairs. Cymes 3 together, with peduncles 1–2 lin. long, sometimes bearing only a male sessile involucre, sometimes with 2 lateral involucres on cyme-branches 2 lin. long, glabrous. Bracts about 1 1/4 lin. long, suborbicular, concave, thin. Involucres 1/4 in. in diam. with 5 glands and 5 subquadrate denticulate lobes; glands contiguous, 1 1/4–1 1/3 lin. in their greater diam., transverse, elliptic-oblong, entire, not rugulose on their upper surface. Ovary subsessile, included in the involucre, somewhat acutely 3-angled, glabrous, without a distinct calyx; styles 1 1/2 lin. long, united for half their length, then very spreading, 2-lobed at the apex. Capsule and seeds not seen.

Information

A stout succulent leafless bush 2–3 ft. high, much branched from the base, armed with very long spines. Branches erect or ascending, very deeply constricted into subsagittate-ovate or -reniform segments 2–3 in. long and 2 1/2–3 1/2 in. in diam., and probably larger, 3-angled, with a solid central part 3/4–1 in. thick, glabrous; angles much compressed, wing-like, 1–1 1/2 in. broad and 1/6– 1/4 in. thick, with continuous horny greyish-white wavy margins. Leaves rudimentary, scale-like, about 1/3 lin. long and 1/2 lin. broad, ovate. Spines very stout, 1/2–2 1/2 in. long and 1–1 1/2 lin. thick at the base, in pairs 3/4–1 1/2 in. apart, widely diverging, pale brown or greyish. Flowering-eyes seated midway between the spine-pairs. Cymes 3 together, with peduncles 1–2 lin. long, sometimes bearing only a male sessile involucre, sometimes with 2 lateral involucres on cyme-branches 2 lin. long, glabrous. Bracts about 1 1/4 lin. long, suborbicular, concave, thin. Involucres 1/4 in. in diam. with 5 glands and 5 subquadrate denticulate lobes; glands contiguous, 1 1/4–1 1/3 lin. in their greater diam., transverse, elliptic-oblong, entire, not rugulose on their upper surface. Ovary subsessile, included in the involucre, somewhat acutely 3-angled, glabrous, without a distinct calyx; styles 1 1/2 lin. long, united for half their length, then very spreading, 2-lobed at the apex. Capsule and seeds not seen.

Information

A stout succulent leafless bush 2–3 ft. high, much branched from the base, armed with very long spines. Branches erect or ascending, very deeply constricted into subsagittate-ovate or -reniform segments 2–3 in. long and 2 1/2–3 1/2 in. in diam., and probably larger, 3-angled, with a solid central part 3/4–1 in. thick, glabrous; angles much compressed, wing-like, 1–1 1/2 in. broad and 1/6– 1/4 in. thick, with continuous horny greyish-white wavy margins. Leaves rudimentary, scale-like, about 1/3 lin. long and 1/2 lin. broad, ovate. Spines very stout, 1/2–2 1/2 in. long and 1–1 1/2 lin. thick at the base, in pairs 3/4–1 1/2 in. apart, widely diverging, pale brown or greyish. Flowering-eyes seated midway between the spine-pairs. Cymes 3 together, with peduncles 1–2 lin. long, sometimes bearing only a male sessile involucre, sometimes with 2 lateral involucres on cyme-branches 2 lin. long, glabrous. Bracts about 1 1/4 lin. long, suborbicular, concave, thin. Involucres 1/4 in. in diam. with 5 glands and 5 subquadrate denticulate lobes; glands contiguous, 1 1/4–1 1/3 lin. in their greater diam., transverse, elliptic-oblong, entire, not rugulose on their upper surface. Ovary subsessile, included in the involucre, somewhat acutely 3-angled, glabrous, without a distinct calyx; styles 1 1/2 lin. long, united for half their length, then very spreading, 2-lobed at the apex. Capsule and seeds not seen.