Spiny shrub from Tanzania with brown, shredding papery bark and deciduous leaves. The main stem and the branches tend to grow sideways or even downward with time. Old plants in nature may reach over 10 feet tall. Leaf margins are wavy and the upper surface is marked with prominent veins. The cyathia are hooded and nodding (this species was formerly known as Monadenium elegans). This plant can be propagated from cuttings, which may take up to a year to root and leaf out. It displays a striking seasonal variation between the leafless phase and the period of active growth, which begins in late summer in our cool coastal climate.

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