Xerophyte

Central Spines

3 to 6, stronger, up to 4 cm long, straight or recurved and spreading, almost black, becoming grey with age.

Seeds

Brown.

Roots

Swollen carrot like often more or less branched.

Flowers

Pretty small up to about 2,5 cm long, bi-coloured with magenta, rose to the violet petal tips and pinkish-white, white or yellowish-white throat.

Spines

Partially hiding the ribs, needle like, more or less long and dense, white, yellowish, golden yellow, brown, or nearly black, while older one became greyish.

Ribs

11-17 very obtuse, more or less notched with chinlike protrusions.

Stem

Globular to columnar, up to 30 cm tall (or more), up to 11 cm wide. Grey-green.

Fruits

Barrel shaped, 1,5-2 cm long, 1 cm in diameter, red or reddish-green partly hollow at maturity, only scarcely woolly, apical areoles not spinescent.

Habit

Solitary, but sometimes branched, columnar perennial cactus erect or somewhat procumbent when long.

Blooming Season

Blooms late summer.

Radial Spines

10-20, 1,5-2,5 cm long, stright, spreading, dark grey to tan.

Areoles

Large, 6-13 mm long and 7 mm broad, woolly, 3-10 mm apart.