Xerophyte

Central Spines

As many as 2, often absent, erect, slightly curved.

Seeds

Cap shaped dull black,1.5 mm long and 1.2 mm wide. Testa with very fine flat tubercles and with a strong crest on the back.

Note

This member of the Cactaceae family was given this name in honour of Adolfo Maria Friedrich (1897– 1987), German photographer emigrating 1925 to Brazil and settling 1930 in Paraguay.

Flowers

Funnelform, lemon yellow, relatively large to 2-2.5 mm long and wide. Pericarpel spherical, c. 4 mm in diameter, lowest part, the lowest part naked, with areoles above, each of them with 3-6 light, curved, stiff, brown bristles to 3 mm long and white hairs. Receptacle short, about 4 mm long, with scales and in their axes 1-2 flexible, brown to light brown bristles 4-12 mm long, and soft white hair. Scales 1 to 3 mm long. Outer perianth segments spatulate, tapering, ending in a short needle-like tip, 6 to 8 mm long, 1.5 to 2 mm wide, dull-yellow outer side dirty-green, darkening toward the top with whitish or grey outer margins. Inner perianth segments 14 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, finely ciliate, yellow, outer side yellow to light pink, otherwise like the outer segments. Style 8.5 mm long, 0.8 mm in diameter, with 8 yellowish-white stigma lobes, 2,5 mm long, studded with papillae. Primary stamens 4-9 mm long, erect yellowish-white. Secondary stamens 4 to 5 mm long, curved upwards towards the anthers yellowish. Anthers 0.7 mm long, yellow.

Spines

Thin, amber, reddish or horn-coloured; all spines to 3-4 mm long.

Ribs

17-20, vertical, forming round tubercles to 4 mm in diameter.

Stem

Single, globular, to 3-8 cm high and 3-6 in diameter, dark green to coppery red.

Radial Spines

As many as 15, somewhat spreading, often bent and pectinate(6-7 on each side).

Fruits

1-18 mm long, and 6-8 mm wide, with light brown bristles and grey woolly hairs. Pericarp (skin), when ripe, dry and thin.

Areoles

Oval, 1.25 mm long, 0.50-0.75 mm wide, with some light brown felt, later glabrous, to 1.5 mm apart.