Intricately branched woody shrub to 60 cm, greenish, turning yellowish or whitish when dried, glabrous-glaucous, except the leaf axils. Leaves up to 10´2 (-2.5) mm, recurved, tapering from a clasping base into a rigid spine, woolly in the axils. Flowers 1-3 (-5) in each axil, exceeding the bracteoles; bracts up to c. 4 mm, spinescent. Perianth-segments c. 5 mm, linear, subspathulate, obtuse, ± denticulate at apex, coriaceous below, membranous above, the anterior one usually developing an up to 8 (-10) mm long spine at the back. Utricle ovoid, laterally compressed, erect; seed vertical.

Fl. Per.: September.

Type: Egypt, Delile (iso-E!).

Distribution: N. Africa, Nubia, Arabia, Iran and Pakistan (Baluchistan).