Xerophyte

Central Spines

One, needle-like yellowish-brown to brown, about 2 cm long, occasionally up tu 7 cm long in age.

Description

Gymnocalycium damsiiSN|13319]]SN|13319]] var. centrispinum was first named in 1963 by Backeberg in reference to the long central spine that distinguish this variety. Backeberg named four varieties of Gymnocalycium damsiiSN|13319]]SN|13319]] (vars. centrispinum, rotundulum, torulosum and tucavocense). All these varieties were invalidly described, but today they are no more accepted because they only represents extreme of variation within the same polymorphic population. For example plants of var. centrispinum from seed often lack central spines whereas some plants of torulosum have them! Also in the var. tucavocense there are plants with and without central spines. This also applies to var. rotundulum, which is distinguished by it round body shape without pronounced ribs, but again plants with round bodies and more or less round ribs are intermingled with plants with acute ribs and are found within populations of the other varieties.

Flowers

Entirely white. A peculiar characteristic of var. centrispinum seems to be the long stylus protruding above the stamens, in all other G. damsii taxa the stylus is shorter and included within the anthers of the upper stamens.

Stem

In culture the colour of the epidermis varies from copper to dark green (depending on sun exposure).

Radial Spines

7.