Xerophyte

Central Spines

Dark brown to black, soon becoming chalky-white or greyish, up to 20 mm long.

Description

Eriosyce taltalensis subs. paucicostata is a very variable species for size and number of spines, colour of epidermis, number and form of ribs, etc. It comprises several questionable varieties and its taxonomic history has undergone several changes. The great variability of Eriosyce paucicostata is due to the fact that cross pollination among different forms and different species (in habitat and especially in collections) is very frequent and it can be quite difficult to determine what is the "pure type" and the cross. The form "viridis" is distinguishable for the grass green body (whereas the standard form generally has grey-blue-green often grey-purple tinged stem), but even the “viridis” plants tend to take some purple in strong light during colder months or under stress conditions, and the differences among individuals may be remarkable. It can happen that two individuals of two different populations can look very similar and also, two plants of the same population can look very different.

Roots

Conical taproot.

Flowers

From young areoles, campanulate or funnel-shaped, very pale pink, cream-white or pale yellowish with a vague green nuance (rarely reddish). About 3-5cm long, opening 3-5cm broad, scentless. Floral tube with abundant white wool and bristles. Ovary; green to brownish, with white flecks of wool in the axils of the very small brownish scales. Flower Tube; tubular up to the nectar chamber, above that funnel shaped to bell shaped, 1.4-2.2cm long, opening to 1.3-1.7cm broad, on the outside like the ovary, with however in the axils a single stiff brown or black bristly spine, interior practically white. Nectar Chamber; 2.25-4mm long, 3-4mm broad, half open. Stamens; white, more or less tinged green, the lowermost 0.75-1cm long, the uppermost 1-1.5 cm long; anthers small, pale citron-colour, extending not altogether as far as halfway up the flower. Style; carmine colour, 2.2-2.4cm long, 1.5mm thick, with 8-10 cream coloured 3mm long stigma lobes, that approximately equal the anthers or slightly exceed these. Petals; 1.7-2cm long, 3-5mm broad, shorter or longer the innermost white, the outermost more pink, with white margin. There might be over 50 flowers on a mature specimen (only mature specimens bloom).

Spines

Juvenile specimens have 1 central spine and 8 radials, but the numbers increase as they get older, and areoles can have over 20 spines on mature specimens.

Ribs

Adult specimens have only 8-12 ribs very pronounced, even in young plants, later to nearly 2cm high, fairly acute, at the base much broader, with very small cross grooves above the sunken areoles, but a strong chin under the areoles.

Stem

Solitary, later columnar ca. 6-8 cm in diameter and 15-30cm long and then half recumbent, strikingly grey-blue-green often grey-purple tinged , with barely developed or virtually absent tap root with abundant white wool on top.

Radial Spines

6-12, up to 1 cm long.

Fruits

Reddish, elongate, opening by a basal pore.