Xerophyte

Central Spines

absent (occasionally one is present, similar to the radial, Ritter), erect and slightly bent upwards. Young spines translucent, grey-brown with dark tip to blackish, becoming grey with brownish points.

Seeds

ca. 1 mm. Testa matt blackish-brown, finely granulous. Hilum large basal, circled with a strong prominent white ring.

Roots

Fibrous.

Flowers

Apical, 30-35 mm long, 25-35(-40) mm in diameter. Pericarpel short (15 mm), green, with rounded olive-green scales, initially edged with white and a pink point, then bordered with pink. Outer perianth segments spatulate, cherry-red with an olive-green wide median band. Inner perianth segments spatulate, but narrower, with a small mucro, carmine red. Throat carmine. Filaments carmine pink. Anthers light yellow. Style carmine to orange-red. Stigma white to yellowish, with 9-11 lobes, under the stamens.

Ribs

11 to 13 (12 to 18 according to Ritter), sinuous, acute or somewhat rounded, separated by deep vertical furrows. Tubercles rounded, with prominent chins separates by straight transverse furrows, occupying the whole width of the ribs.

Stem

Solitary, flattened globose, leaf-green, grey-green or bluish-green; up to 12-15 cm in diameter, and 8-10 cm tall. Apex depressed, woolly, covered by the spines from neighbouring areoles.

Radial Spines

5 (3 to 8, Ritter), stout, stiff, erect, , straight to slightly curved, 25-30 mm long one pointing downward, others in pairs curving sideways. .

Fruits

Flattened globose to spherical, light green to brownish green with lighter scales.

Areoles

Oblong, 8 × 5 mm, initially yellow then white.