Xerophyte

Habit

Plants shrubby, branching basally with several upright stems, forming open bushes up to 1,5 m tall and broad.

Seeds

Tiny, blackish-brown or black.

Description

Cleistocactus samaipatanusSN|3762]]SN|3762]] is a long, narrow columnar cactus with pale gold toothpick-like spines. It grows vigorously with large, bright red to pink-red flowers. The plant found in cultivation are quite variable, and the dissimilarity among seedlings spination and flowers colour may be considerable.

Flowers

Diurnal, very showy bright red to pink-red, tubular, zygomorphic, strongly S-shaped about 3,5-5 cm long and 2-2,5 in diameter. Corolla slightly compressed. Tepals linear strongly oblique, acute scarlet up to 15 mm long. Tube basally woolly and laterally compressed. Stamens in two rows, exerted with dark purple anthers. Stylus usually not or only slightly protruding, stigma lobes greenish-white to cream coloured.

Blooming Season

With optimal growing condition it flowers time by time from late winter to nearly autumn, with a peak in March (other species of Cleistocacti also tend to flower this month)

Ribs

14-17, low, rounded up to 2 mm high and 7 mm wide.

Stem

Rounded cylindrical, slender, erect, ascending, later decumbent, prostrate or pendent, lime green, 90-150 m long and (2,5-)3,5-4(-5) cm in diameter and many-ribbed.

Radial Spines

13-22(-40) thin, sharp, needle shaped, unequal 4-30 mm long, whitish, pale gold, ashy-grey or brownish.

Fruits

Small spherical 9-11 mm long and 7-9 mm wide, reddish, with dense white and brown wool.

Areoles

Light brown tomentose, later naked, close together, 3-4 mm apart.