Evergreen subshrub, hermaphrodite, extremely dense, hemispherical, usually with sand embedded between the leaves and branchlets, which gives it the appearance (and hardness) of a rounded rock (in the Jebel Bani, N of Aouinet Torkoz, it adopts a curious prostrate and elongated shape). In the more humid and sheltered areas, it can reach up to 1 m in height and 1.5 in diameter at the base, but it usually does not exceed 0.5 m in height. Very ramose from the base. Branches abundant, bark greyish-brown and then whitish. Branchlets extremely dense, tight against each other, very short (2-5 cm), with such short internodes that are hardly seen between the leaves. Leaves (4-7 \u00d7 1-3 mm) opposite, amplexicaul, fused, very dense, almost imbricate, ovate-lanceolate, trigone, ending in a spinescent mucro slightly curved backwards, fleshy, glabrous except at the base where they have lanate hairs, green-whitish in colour, glaucescent. Flowers hermaphrodite, solitary, axillary, arranged in small groups (2-5) at the end of the branchlets. Perianth with 5 membranous subequal parts, oval, obtuse. Fruit a berry with a seed shaped as a spiral, arranged vertically. Fruit perianth with 5 parts, each with a wing, whitish to purple.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-12033","species","type-species","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n