Xerophyte

Habit

It is a solitary or slowly clumping, small cactus, dichotomy also observed.

Description

Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanusSN|12688]]SN|12648]] subs. schwarzii best known as

Parastichy Number

5 and 8.

Roots

Tap root, nearly shaped like a drawn molar tooth, with mass of fibrous roots.

Note

For a long time it was thought that Turbinicarpus polaskiiSN|12648]]SN|12688]] was a synonym of this taxa. The easiest ways to distinguish between them are

Tubercles

Flattened 4-angled (diamond shaped) broad and stumpy,

Flowers

Apical short tubed, campanulate, 20-30 mm long, 30-40 mm wide, sepals lanceolate, margins entire, white or (rarely) pink.

Spines

1 to 3 spongy yellow-grey, yellowish-brown or whitish horn coloured (Newly emerged centrals yellow-brown), the lower one longer, up to 2 cm, the 2 side spine approximately 4-5 mm, often missing, still shorter, flattened below, curved towards the apex and often contorted grey, corky, rather soft, with transverse fissures. The spines are bunched at plant apex and persistent only on the upper body, below they fall off and the body and tubercles are corky and bare. Juvenile radial spines are feathery and very characteristic.

Stem

Flattened semi-globose, turbinate, pale green. In habitat rarely exceding 2 cm of height and 3,5-5 cm in diameter with a further 30 mm underground, but often much more larger in cultivation.

Areoles

Oval, woolly, at top of plant, quickly disappear.