Subshrub, spiny, hemispherical, highly branched from the base, that can reach up to 80 cm in height and 2 m basal diameter, although usually it is a hemisphere of 30-50 cm diameter. Branches divaricate, intricate, hardened and persistent for several years. Young stems and leaves covered with a dense velvety indumentum, of stellate hairs, dichotomously branched, with 25-35 radii. Floral stems numerous, rigid, zigzagging, with all secondary shoots transformed into short spines or erect secondary inflorescences; sterile branches never spiny. Leaves of floral stems oblong-linear, 5-10(15) \u00d7 1-2 mm, late caducous, borne on the axils of secondary branchlets transformed into spines or secondary flower racemes. Leaves of sterile branches larger, 8-18(24) \u00d7 1.5-4(7) mm, oblong-lanceolate, with leaf blade slightly attenuated in the base. Flowers in corymbiform racemes, pauciflorous, that become slightly longer (up to 2.3 cm) after flowering. Petals white or pink 3.5-6 \u00d7 1.3-2 mm. Ovary with 2 primordia per locule. Fruit a silicle, 3.5-6 \u00d7 2.5-3.5 mm, orbicular-elliptic, patent, with asymmetric locules, glabrous valves, finely reticulated, with upright style 1-1.5 mm. Seeds 1(2) in the upper locule and 0-1(2) in the lower locule, 2.1 \u00d7 1.7 mm, elliptic, not mucilaginous, with very narrow wing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-12870","species","type-species","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n