Xerophyte

Central Spines

Absent.

Description

Maihueniopsis bonnieaeSN|1024]]SN|1024]], best known in cultivation as Puna bonnieaeSN|1023]]SN|1023]], is a small geophytic opuntioid that looks like a small Tephrocactus geometricus, but the bloom, fruit and the seeds clearly show its autonomous nature. During the dry season they are hidden in the ground. It forms slowly small cushion up to 15 cm in diameter.

Roots

It has a large turnip, branched, subterranean storage root (The roots of Tephrocactus are fibrous)

Tubercles

low, bordered with grooves and slightly depressed in the centre in correspondence of the areole.

Flowers

Flower Light Pink or Pinkish, 3-4 cm in diameter, arising from buds with white felt. The pericarp is naked or has only few areoles with some bristle-like spines up to 3 mm long. This feature is typical for Punas (While the pericarpus of Theprocactus has numerous areoles)

Stem

Small usually globular, obconical to slightly elongated up to 2.5 cm tall and in diameter, they are broadly attached basally and do not detach easily from the mother plants. It is possibly an adaptation to high altitudes. They are dull blue-green but turns to dirty grey as they ages.

Radial Spines

9 to 20. Pinkish, orangish, reddish to darker brown in the young stems, they turn to a whitish grey colour with age. They are very short, flattened and radiating and slightly bent over the stem.

Fruits

The fruit is obovoid, top shaped, about 1-1,5 cm long almost naked and free of areoles. It is thin walled, fleshy becoming dry at maturity.

Areoles

Up to 30 per segment, closely set, with glochids and spines only in the upper part of the stem.