Xerophyte

Leaves

Lanceolate, up to 3.5 mm long, rapidly drying off and persistent as hard white bristles.

Description

Echidnopsis urceolataSN|30338]]SN|30338]] is a distinct perennial succulent plant with its tiny urceolate (urn- shaped) or tubular flowers. Its growth-form resembles a small, thorny Trichocaulon, but, regarding the flower structure, it must be placed in the genus Echidnopsis. The flowers of E. urceolata are extremely variable in size and shape.

Flowers

On 1–1.5 mm long pedicels. Sepals lanceolate 1.5-3 mm long, 0.7-1.5mm wide at base, tips often recurved. Corolla urn-shaped to long tubular, (5-)9-18 mm long, tube 6–7 mm wide at base, gradually constricted at mouth to 3-4 mm, outside purple-red towards base and pale yellow upwards, inside purple red, glabrous deeply pentagonal in cross-section; lobes triangular with slightly recurved tip, 1–3 mm long, greenish yellow. Corona cup-shaped, rounded-pentagonal with minutely emarginate rim; inner lobes long, triangular, connivent over the staminal column.

Chromosome Number

2n = 22.

Stem

Single or branching at the base, cylindrical, erect, prostrate-decumbent or procumbent, 12–20-angled, 20–70(-90) mm long, 20–25 mm thick, covered densely with conical tubercles.