It is characterized by brilliant blue flowers, glossy green foliage, and is regarded as one of the most beautiful members of the genus.

[3][4] The twigs of this species are papillate (bearing small protuberances, papillae) not thornlike, and the leaf blade has a length that is less than twice the width.

In San Diego County, it is found in the inland chaparral on the Peninsular Range foothills near the communities of Lakeside and Crest.

[5] This plant occurs in dense, almost impenetrable chaparral on igneous rock and rocky, coarse sandy loams.

In Baja California, a single historical collection is known from near the Cerro Coronel, in between Tijuana and La Mision.