[2] It is native to Chile, but it was first described from specimens collected in San Francisco, California, in the United States, where it is an introduced species.

The branching stems stretch prostrate along the ground, reaching up to 50 centimetres (20 inches) in length.

The fleshy, somewhat hairy leaves are up to a centimeter long, including their spiny tips.

[6] It has been known from the San Francisco Bay Area since 1887,[4] where it was a common introduced plant growing on the grounds of the Presidio before it ever had a name.

Botanist Alice Eastwood used California specimens to give the plant its formal name.