Xerophyte

Habit

Simple at first it slowly ramifies from the base to form clusters.

Flowers

Diurnal, funnel shaped, bright purple-red, with a usual clearer centre, 6 cm long, 5 cm diameter. Tube relatively stout up to 1 cm in diameter. Inner perianth-segments, narrowly obovate, abruptly acute, spreading. Stamens and style much shorter than the inner perianth-segments. Scales on ovary and flower-tube lanceolate with short-hairs in their axils.

Blooming Season

Blooms are produced in spring and remain open for about three days.

Spines

Variable, stout, all radial or sometime with one central, often difficult to distinguish as centrals and radials, brownish. Usually 3-7 cm long, but often longer in old specimens.

Ribs

9–12 (or more), sharp edged, broken into long acute, hatchet-shaped, tubercles, separated by acute intervals.

Stem

Stem

Fruits

Subglobose, 10 to 12 mm in diameter.

Areoles

Felted about 1,5-2 cm apart.