With a growth habit similar to that of columnar cacti, it can reach a height of 20 m. It is characterised by its latex, which is irritating to the skin. Its branches form a broad, dark green, four-sided crown with fleshy edges from which emerge pairs of spines 2 to 8 mm in length.

Its leaves are ephemeral, lanceolate and very small, appearing on the newly sprouted parts. It flowers in spring and summer, producing fleshy, yellow, cup-shaped flowers clustered at the tips of the stems, which are dioecious. The fruit, which is green and about the size of a pea, consists of two or three locules.

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