Spiny shrub with leathery leaves, short petiole, oblong or elliptic, arranged alternately or fasciculate.

Areas of thorny scrub and cambronales, characteristic of the communities of Mayteno-periplocetum angustifoliae and Rhamno-Maytenetum europaei, coexists with other Ibero-African species such as Periploca angustifolia or Withania frutescens, as well as with Asparagus albus, Aristolochia baetica, Chamaerops humilis, Ephedra fragilis, Genista umbellata, Lavandula multifida, Rhamnus oleoides, Salvia rosmarinus and Thymus baeticus.

[2][3] The only European populations are located on the southeastern coast of Spain, from Malaga to Murcia and south of Alicante, through Granada and Almeria.

In Almería they can be found in El Palmer and La Molineta, in El Ejido (SCI El Artal), Guardias Viejas, Santa Fe de Mondújar or Cuevas del Almanzora, in protected areas such as the Natural Park of Cabo de Gata-Níjar, Sierra Alhamilla, Punta Entinas-Sabinar and La Partala; its status is locally critical.

In the Region of Murcia is located only in the Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Union, with good populations in the vicinity of El Gorguel and in the natural park of Calblanque, Monte de las Cenizas and Peña del Aguila.

In the region of Murcia, its main populations are endangered by the El Gorguel macro-port construction project.

Maytenus senegalensis was described by Lam, Exell and published in Boletim da Sociedade Broteriana, ser.