| General Description | A small tree with a post-like appearance and a compact crown. It short branches are armed with extremely strong and sharp spines. |
| Cultivation | Rocky ground or gravelly soils. |
| Habitat | South facing hills and mountain slopes in the desert at an altitude of 30-600 m. |
| Leaf Description | Short branches with minimal re-branching, densely packed and obscured with straw coloured spines, spines turn black at maturity. |
| Flower Description | Light green or yellow flowers streaked with lavender, 2.4-4 cm in diameter, green filaments, 6 mm long and 5 thick stigmas, 3 mm in length. |
| Fruit Description | Yellow or greenish-yellow, fleshy, tuberculate, 2 x 0.9 cm. |