They reach  tall and  wide. Plants are solitary or clustered in as many as 12, with erect stems that have 10 to 19 ribs. The stems are dark green and often obscured by the spines, which range from tan, brown, black, or pink, and the tips are usually darker than the shaft.
They grow to a height of  tall and a width of . Plants can be solitary or clustered in as many as 12. The stems are erect with 10 to 19 ribs, dark green, and often covered by spines that range from tan, brown, black, or pink. The tips tend to be darker than the shaft.