[1] It is a soft-stemmed caudiciform tree, with succulent green leaves on fragile, chunky, elastic, distinctively zig-zag branches.

It can eventually reach a height of nearly 10 meters, and develop a vastly expanded, swollen, water-filled trunk.

Like many other endemic Mauritian plants, it has heterophyllous leaves, due to having evolved with the presence of grazing giant tortoises.

It was reported to be extremely common especially on and around Le Pouce and in the north, especially around the town of Mapou (to which it gave its name), although it was already rare there by 1800.

It was exterminated from much of its natural range, but can still occasionally be found on extremely rocky slopes or outcrops in the higher mountains.

It can be found on the mountain ranges of Trois Mamelles and Rempart, and in some of the remaining dry forests in the west of the island, especially around Magenta and Yemen.