| General Description | A small shrub with many spreading branches at obtuse angles, green to dark green in colour. |
| Cultivation | Dry sandy or gravelly soils. |
| Habitat | Sandy soils in flats and washes of the desert at an altitude of 300-900 m. Often found in the Arizona desert. |
| Leaf Description | Thin, long leaves, 12 x 1.5 mm. Spines are a tan to pale yellow colour which turn brown then black as they mature, straight, long and spread in all directions. Moderate spines which do not obscure the stem, 10-15 spines per areole. |
| Flower Description | 4-5.5 cm in diameter, a greenish yellow in colour with purplish veins and purplish tips, filaments, 9-12 mm in length and red in colour with yellow anthers. |
| Fruit Description | Spiny, dense fruit falls in late summer or autumn. Seeds are a light tan or off white colour, flat with an irregular angle; 5-8 x 3-5 mm. |