It is known from about ten occurrences in central San Diego County, California, and fewer than 100 individual plants on land across the border in Baja California.

[4] This plant produces a branching stem, part of which grows underground, lined with rosettes of stiff, waxy, blue-green leaves, up to 45 per rosette.

The leaves are thick and somewhat fleshy at the bases, and shreddy and serrated along the edges.

The erect inflorescence may be up to 1.6 meters tall, bearing branches lined with tiny flowers each with six whitish tepals a few millimeters long.

The fruit is a papery capsule containing reddish brown seeds about half a centimeter wide.