Xerophyte

Seeds

Oblong, over 1 mm long; testa glossy black; hilum basal yellowish white.

Note

This member of the Cactaceae family was given this name in honor of the German merchant and owner of a cactus nursery Wilhelm Wessner (1904-1983). Wessner's rebutia.

Flowers

Heterogamous, borne on sides of stems, bright scarlet to bloodred with yellowish throats, to 5.5 cm in diameter. Pericarpel and floral tube red with violet red scales. Perianth segments narrowly lanceolate, long-pointed, about 30 mm long and 6 mm wide. Filaments reddish, anthers pale yellow. Pistil pink-orange, basally fused for 2-3 mm with the narrow flower tube.

Spines

About 25, about 20 mm long, hardly distinguishable as radial and central, stiff, bristle-like, interlacing molstly white, uppermost ones sometimes with brownish tip.

Ribs

Spiraling, not always completely divided into tubercles, tubercles up to 2 mm, hexagonal when present.

Stem

Depressed globose, bright green or reddish-green in strong sunlight, lacking spines apically, to 7 cm high and 8 cm in diameter, with fibrous roots.

Fruits

Globose, 5-7 mm in diameter, pale violet to dull reddish violet, with purple scales.

Areoles

Elliptical, white 5 mm long, 5 mm apart.