The plant is endemic to California, found in only several Mojave Desert mountain ranges within Death Valley National Park, in eastern Inyo County.

There are fewer than ten occurrences, and it is a NatureServe listed Critically endangered species.

[5][6] Tetracoccus ilicifolius is a branching shrub, hairless in texture except for the new twigs, which have woolly brownish hairs.

The shiny, leathery leaves are oppositely arranged or borne in whorls along the branches.

The plant is dioecious, with male and female individuals producing different types of flowers.