HABIT	STOUT SUCCULENT HERB, UP TO 3 M TALL.
STEMS	WELL BRANCHED, SOMETIMES WOODY AT THE BASE, USUALLY SOMEWHAT REDDISH, GLABROUS.
LEAVES	2–13 × 0·5–3·5 CM, LANCEOLATE OR BROADLY ELLIPTICAL, NARROWLY CUNEATE AT THE BASE, THEAPEX SUBACUTE.
FLOWERS	CLUSTERED ON SHORT AXILLARY SHOOTS, ALSO BEARING REDUCED LEAVES; YELLOW.
FRUITS	CAPSULE 10–20 × 1·2 MM, RELATIVELY THINWALLED, GLABROUS, TERETE, LIGHT BROWN, AT FIRST THIN-WALLED AND TORULOSE, BUT AS THE ENDOCARP SWELLS AND HARDENS, BECOMING SMOOTH; PEDICELS 0·5–3 MM LONG.
SEEDS	0·6–0·75 × 0·4–0·5 MM, UNISERIATE IN EACH LOCULE OF THE CAPSULE, DIAGONAL, BROWN, OBOVOID; EACH SEED LOOSELY BUT COMPLETELY EMBEDDED IN AN EASILY DETACHED PIECE OF SOFT POWDERY ENDOCARP.