Xerophyte

Leaves

Minute and ephemeral.

Seeds

3 x 2 mm testa, shinning, very hard, aril with prominent annular rim.

Description

Cumulopuntia bolivianaSN|4047]]SN|4047]] is a cushion-forming cactus densely armed with golden brown spines, native to high elevation deserts around 4000 m in the Andes. It forms large mounds up to 100 cm in diameter. Cumulopuntia bolivianaSN|4047]]SN|4047]] comprises several local or morphological forms that differ slightly in appearance from place to place throughout its range. In cultivation it seem a bit tricky, not developing the dense spines and not usually flowering. Four subspecies are recognized, the typical form (subsp. boliviana), subsp. dactylifera (Vaupel). D.R.Hunt, subsp. echinacea (F.Ritter) D.R.Hunt, subsp. ignescens (Vaupel) D.R.Hunt (Hunt et al. 2006). The complex is often assessed as a single species.

Roots

It has a thick napiform root.

Stem Segments

Elongate to ovoid, light green, tuberculate apically, 3.5-7 cm long 3,5-4 cm in diameter.

Tubercles

at first well delimited, later only dimly discernible, mostly on upper portions of segments.

Flowers

Yellow (rarely orange, pink or red), to 4-5,5 cm long, 5-6 cm in diameter; pericarpels bristly above. Tepals small spatulate more or less mucronate. Outer tepals pale yellow or slightly tinged with red. Stamens sensitive. Filaments are light yellow anthers of the same colour. Style light yellow. Stigma lobes 7-8, paler, whitish or greenish.

Spines

1 to10 (or more), only on the uppermost areoles near the segment tips, erect or somewhat spreading, straight, rounded or slightly compressed, some thin and flexible, yellow to reddish brown, and sometimes a very few shorter, secondary spines (3-10 mm long) whitish and bristly, all becoming grey and even black with age.

Fruits

Usually nearly spherical and truncated, fleshy, green to yellow, mostly spineless but sometimes with a few flexible bristles approximately 20 mm long.

Areoles

About 15, near the segment tips, rounded, about 4 mm across, bearing a ring of brownish yellow glochids, with a small white or yellowish woolly centre. Basal areoles spineless.