Stem 4 to 5-angled, 2 to 10 cm in diameter, strangled in sections of 8 to 15 cm. Leaves 1.5 x 1 mm, scale-like, soon deciduous. Spines shields fused together into horny margins. Spines up to 1 cm in lenght, reddisch brown, then gray with a darker tip. Prickles minute, up to 1 mm. Cymes 1–3 in a horizontal line at each flowering eye, reduced to solitary cyathia(?); peduncles 4-5 mm long. Cyathia c. 1 cm in diameter, red. Glands oblong oval, touching each other, blood red.
The plant is freely growing and might build a tree or larger shrub in nature. Flowering season is early spring (sparsely) and autumn (freely). The red cyathia are quite showy.

Frank Vincentz, Germany

Small shrub, branching crosswise (like E. aeruginosa) from soil level and above. Main root (of a cutting) thickened and building an underground caudex. Branches ascending, obscurely 4-angled, almost cylindrical, dark green with continuous light green markings between the angles. Leaves 1 mm, scale-like, soon deciduous. Spine shields separate, oblong triangular, 1 cm long, 1.5-2 cm apart. Spines spread in an angle of 40-45 degrees, 1 cm long, purplish brown, then gray with a darker tip. Prickles spread in an angle of almost 180 degrees, 1 mm. Cymes solitary, simple; peduncle c. 1.5-2 mm; cyme branches 3-7 mm long. Cyathia c. 7 mm in diameter, red. Glands almost semi-circular, touching, bright orange.
This true beauty that seems of East African origin is of easy care and freely flowers in autumn.

Frank Vincentz, Germany