This species, from eastern Uganda and western Kenya, was propagated from material originally collected by the late Gilfrid Powys. This spiny shrub has four-angled stems with slight variegation and a nearly continuous spine shield that becomes continuous with age. The epithet comes from the fact that plants in the wild have a decreasing size of spines with height on the stems. The cyathia of subspecies baringoensis are crimson. These plants are rooted cuttings in 5-inch pots.