Sesamothamnus lugardii is a grotesque spiny shrub or small caudiciform tree which looks like a 2-3(-5) m high baobab. It has an exceptionally thick, swollen trunk which always subdivides near the ground in few main branches tapering rapidly towards their tips to form a sparse canopy.
The flowers of this species are unique, beautiful trumpet-shaped, but unfortunately very few are produced. Each consists of a particularly long, thin, red-brown corolla tube which is elongated at the base into what is known as a 'spur', which extends beyond the flower's junction with the twig.