Xerophyte

Central Spines

1.

Description

Very tall columnar cactus with a thick telephone pole-like stem , 7-12(-15) m tall; Often remain solitary but it can ramify forming a candelabra-like tree with little curved branches. This plant is characterized by the many, narrow, closely spaced ribs

Flowers

Diurnal, externally green with vivid pink, dark red or magenta (or orage-yellow) petals near the top of the cactus, their ovary is sometimes tuberculate, with small scales and red filaments.

Spines

Yellowish turning grey as they age, thin, acicular, bristle-like, mostly pointing downward, approx 1 to 2 cm long. As ages, spines tend to fall out.

Ribs

10-30 narrow, acute.

Stem

Thick, columnar, deeply ribbed, green.

Radial Spines

4-8.

Fruits

Small, cylindrical, greenish approx 4 cm long. They mature rapidly and the seeds can be ready to germinate in only 3 weeks. They open in a quite peculiar way and form something like a star on the stem of the plant with the black seeds in contrast with the off-white colour of the pulp. The fruits are totally exposed to the birds that devour them quickly. They are also edible for humans, tastes smoothly sweet and remembers a very mature plum.

Areoles

Small, 4-6 mm apart with yellowish felt.