This plant is a low, rounded shrub with a gnarled trunk emerging from the sand and branching densely to form a mound up to two meters tall.

The zig-zagging, angled, sharp-tipped branches are sometimes buried in sand and emerge covered in lichens.

The alternately arranged leaves have smooth blades 1 to 3 centimeters long with wavy or toothed edges.

[3] Flowering increases in the seasons after a fire, then decreases the longer the area goes unburned.

[7] Due to the loss of its habitat, the plant is federally listed as an endangered species of the U.S.[6] Another threat to the species is the outright loss of its habitat in the conversion to residential and agricultural properties, including citrus groves.

[5] The plant's own biology may contribute to its rarity: germination rates are low and many of the developing fruits are lost before they mature, either to abortion or predation.