Xerophyte

Central Spines

2 or 3, 2 cm long, pointing downward except for the upper one, which is shorter.

Description

It is a short columnar usually solitary cactus.

Tubercles

The tubercles protrude about 8 mm, are separated by transverse grooves and have apical areoles.

Flowers

Diurnal yellow. They are up to 2-4 cm long, 2-4 cm in diameter.

Blooming Season

Flowers come sporadically from Early Summer to Late Summer

Ribs

When fully mature it has up to 40 prominent markedly tuberculate, but initially it has considerably fewer.

Stem

Globular when young, later becoming elongated and cylindrical, greyish-green or reddish-green (f. rubra), 10 cm wide, 45-50 cm tall (In cultivation the colour of the plants depends on sun exposure, the plants grown in shadow are greener, wile the ones in full sun take a dark frost brown or purple colour)

Radial Spines

Absent.

Fruits

Inconspicuous, dark red and globular.

Areoles

Close set.