Opuntia floccosa f. cristata
Opuntia floccosa f. cristata
Family
Cactaceae
Genus
Species
Opuntia floccosa f. cristata
Author
hort.
Chinese genus
仙人掌属
Chinese name
-
Accepted
DescriptionEdit description
Leaves
Rudimental, awl shaped, dark green, fairly persistent, to 7 mm long.
Description
Austrocylindropuntia floccosaSN|4105]]SN|4105]] (Tephrocactus floccosus is a groundcover cactus that forms thousand-head colonies or compact cushions of up to 60 (and over) cm of diameter. This plant is covered with a dense, long-woolly felt of white hair and yellow spines from which emerge bright yellow flowers.
Flowers
Up to 3 cm long, petals orange-red (or yellow) with yellow centre; pericarpelswith areoles above, spineless.
Glochids
Long, hairy, soft, sinuous, entangled or straight, sometimes absent and whitish/grey.
Spines
Occasionally 2 or more numerous yellow, erect approx. 2 cm long.
Stem
The crested form has green fan-shaped stem up to 15 cm long, 6 cm thick, with tuberculate surface.
Fruits
Truncate globose, sometimes with tubercles, yellowish when unripe, sugary/orange when ripen and slightly hairy.
Areoles
Borne high on tubercle shoulders.