Xerophyte

Habit

It is an attractive dwarf clustering, cactus covered with characteristic short brownish spines and light green tubercles barely covering the body. It is a free-flowering species, but quite variable.

Flowers

Flowers produced halfway up the stems, curving upward,flame coloured to crimson, throats reddish violet, to 4 cm long and 4,5 cm in diameter. Tube narrow.

Blooming Season

Flowers all tend to come in one late Spring rush, rather than spread over the Summer, and remain open for up to six days.

Spines

8-10, erect, fine, needle-like, all more or less similar, brownish, to 1 cm long.

Ribs

Up to 18, forming distinct tubercles.

Stem

Roundish to slightly elongated, depressed at the top, grey-green, to 5 cm high and 3,5 cm in diameter covered by distinctive conical tubercles with hexagonal bases similar to a Mammillaria, that are easy to see through the small spines.

Fruits

Tiny, spherical, berrylike, brownish to olive green.

Areoles

Rather large, elliptical, brownish-tomentose.