Edithcolea grandis is a succulent plant with leafless richly branched perennial and decumbent stems with a diameter of 2 to 4 cm and up to 30 cm in length. The glabrous stems are 4 or 5 angled and armed with regularly placed hard and acute spine like teeth or tubercules. The base colour of the plant varies from green to red with brownish spots. The bisexual flowers are 8 to 13 cm in diameter and are formed near the apex of the branches. The flower is at times described as the Persian carpet flower. The carrion-like smell of the flowers attracts flies and other insects for pollination. The stem of Edithcolea grandis is eaten as a vegetable in Ethiopia and Somalia.