Xerophyte

Habit

It is a clumping plant growing flat to the ground and readily forming, especially in cultivation, clumps of many heads from the base.

Central Spines

Absent.

Roots

Non-succulent, fibrous, or more or less thickened and carrot-like.

Note

Rebutia steinbachii subs. verticillacanthaSN|5194]]SN|5194]] is apparently a neotenic variety of the species in which juvenile spination is retained throughout the life of the plant, while many of the other varieties are dimorphic (short spined juvenile forms transform at maturity to strongly spined forms).

Flowers

Typically yellow with orange petals tip, or light purple with a contrasting yellow-orange troat, but also pure yellow, orange, red or violet or bicoloured, numerous in a ring at the base of the plant.

Blooming Season

Spring (April - May) and remain open for up to five days.

Ribs

About 17, spiralling, poorly distinguished, forming oblong rhomboid tubercles with well-defined grooves.

Stem

Single heads 25–35 mm wide, and up to 35 mm tall, globular, flattened and somehow apically depressed, grey-green to dark olive green sometime tinged red, not completely hidden under the covering of spines.

Radial Spines

(6-)8-12(-14) tiny, thin, pectinate pointing sidewards and downwards up to 5 mm in length. Creamy-white, yellowish or amber, brow at the base. These spines don't obscure the stem but form a nice spiralling pattern on the stem..

Areoles

White or yellowish, long, narrow 3-6 long, 1,5 mm large.