Xerophyte

Central Spines

1, hooked or not, greyish, 14-18 mm long, base of the spine thickened. This species is one of those Coryphanthas which pass a purely radial-spined youth stage, but almost all of the plants after several years develop the central spines, giving the plant its sea urchin appearance.

Seeds

Kidney-shaped red brown.

Axils

With white wool when young.

Roots

fibrous (no tap root)

Flowers

Whitish or golden with no redness in the throat, up to 4.5 cm long and 4 cm broad. Outer perianth segments with darker brownish midribs. Filaments greenish-white; anthers yellow; stigma green-white with about 10 yellow lobes.

Stem

Spherical to short cylindrical, green, 9-15 cm tall 9-15 cm, 5-9 cm in diameter.Tubercles In 13-21 series, conical cylindrical, nearly round in cross section, up to 22 mm long, with a complete grow without glands.

Radial Spines

11-12 radials, greyish white or horn coloured, often with black tips, 10-18 mm long of which about 6 horizontally radiating, while a second layer of erect radial spines spines in the upper part of the areoles is produced only on mature plants with central spines.

Fruits

Acid green, juicy, up to 27 mm long, with persisting flower remnants.

Areoles

Round woolly when young later almost naked.