Usually found in dry scrub on shallow, stony ground, this attractive species is widespread in the Great Karoo where the plants form more or less dense clumps up to a meter tall and 1.5 m in diameter.
The branches are 3-8 cm thick, cylindrical to club-shaped, with 10-16 angles. The star-shaped spines to which the species name refers, are in fact modified fertile peduncles and are 0.4-2 cm long.
Flowers appear from July to September.
