Xerophyte

Habit

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

Roots

Taproot.

Tubercles

1 cm broad and 6 mm high, pyramidal, angular and somewhat keeled, rhomboid at the base, arranged in flat spirals.

Flowers

Apical, funnel shaped, inside ivory, outside with darker brown (or magenta) midribs 14-25mm wide. This plant is capable of blooming when it is little larger than 1 cm in diameter.

Blooming Season

Summer (May-October) flowering.

Spines

2-3, the lower one longer, up to 1 cm, the 2 upper ones only on young areoles, flattened below, curved towards the apex, grey-brown with dark tip, newly emerged centrals blackish brown, corky, rather soft, with transverse fissures. Juvenile radial spines are feathery and very characteristic.

Stem

Globular depressed, 30-50 mm high, 35-40 mm wide, pale grey to greenish-brown, apex with some white wool.

Fruits

Green-brown with a woolly top.

Areoles

on the tip of the tubercle, with a little wool, soon becoming bare.