Monadenium lugardiae is a succulent growing several erect, cylindrical stems that branch at the base or below ground. They may become 30 cm tall. Older leaves drop off the stem, leaving only a few at the top and hexagonal tessellations (honeycomb-type geometrical patterns) marking the green stem surface. 

The obovate fleshy green leaves point upwards and taper towards the base. The latex should be avoided, regarded as poisonous.

The distribution of the species encompasses much of the ortheast of South Africa in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal; also over the border into Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana (Van Jaarsveld, et al, 2006; www.plantoftheweek.org).