Xerophyte

Central Spines

3-7, of which 1-3 stronger, golden yellow, light-brown to reddish, to 3 cm long.

Seeds

Blackish.

Description

Micranthocereus polyanthusSN|33153]]SN|4871]] is a fascinating slender cactus, the stems being almost completely covered with whitish-yellowish spines, and even more so towards the apex where the pseudocephalium develops and many small rose-red flowers emerge.Two subspecies are recognized, the nominate form and subsp. alvinii M.Machado & Hofacker, although M. Machado feels the latter should be placed under Micranthocereus flaviflorusSN|4871]]SN|33153]].

Cephalium

Lateral, near the stem tips, not strongly evident, white the wool intermixed with long bristle-like spines.

Flowers

Many, small crowded down one side of the stem, tubular, rose red to pinkish to cream, 1.6-1.8 cm long. Perianth segments erect, 2-3 mm long, the outer pink, the inner creamy-white.

Ribs

15-20, low.

Stem

Bluish green, columnar ,branching basally to 1.2 m high, 3.5-5 cm in diameter, almost completely covered with white wool.

Radial Spines

20-30, needle-like, whitish to golden yellow, 05-12 mm long.

Fruits

5-7 mm rose red.

Areoles

Non flowering areoles 1-2 cm apart, with dense white wool hairs 1-2 cm long covering the stem.