Xerophyte

Central Spines

1-3, hairlike, very fine and thin, present only on young stems, brownish, 7 to 15 mm long.

Seeds

1.3x 1.3 mm, testa with elongated tubercles.

Description

Echinocereus primolanatusSN|32695]]SN|32695]] is a very peculiar species usually solitary. The young plants initially with the stem clothed with very fine and thin hairs. The flowers are up to 9 cm broad, sensationally large for a so small plant, dark pink with purple glimmer and very showy, the tube is densely covered by white felt,scales and bristles. The flowers can last for 4–5 days.Derivation of specific name. Lat. 'primus', the first; and Lat. 'lanatus', woolly; for the striking white wolly central spines present only on young stems.

Roots

Sometimes large.

Flowers

Borne near the stem tips from very woolly buds, broadly funnelform, bright pink,5.5-9 cm long, 5-9 cm in diameter. Pericarpel and tube38-40 mm long, green but dark reddish-brown towards apex, densely clothed in areole with long wool and white to dark brown bristle spines. Nectar-chamber 1 deep, 3 mm in diameter, filled by style base. Perianth-segments to 60 x ll-14mm, rounded to gradually acuminate at apex, outermost intergrading with tube scales, linear, to 27 x 1.5mm, bearing an areole with bristle-spines and wool below apex, outer segments with brownish green midrib, inner segments pale pinkish magenta with a narrow darker midstripe, nearly white towards base. Stamens 10 mm, filaments pale greenish, white above, anthers golden yellow. Style 20 mm long, white, stigma-lobes 8-15, dark green.

Ribs

16-26, low, slightly tuberculate.

Stem

Globose to cylindrical, green, 4-12 cm long, 2.5-5.5 cm in diameter obscured by spines.

Radial Spines

20-28, in two comblike rows, dirty white or pink-white, 2-4 mm long.

Fruits

13 mm long, 7-8 mm thick, ovoid, nearly dry, splitting longitudinally, with dense wool and spines.