Flexuous stems, small leaves, regularly developed rather small spines, corolla ca. 6 mm long, small red fruits. This species is apparently similar to Catesbaea fuertesii and Catesbaea glabra, and its distinction from these rests in significant part on the proportional length of the corolla lobes vs. tube (Liogier, 1995). Catesbaea fuertesii was separated mainly based on its ovules and locules that are 1-2 per locule, vs. more in other species, including 3-6 in Catesbaea glabra and Catesbaea sphaerocarpa.