Xerophyte

Central Spines

Usually 2-4, rarely as many as 7, straight or somewhat curved, more or less divergent, much stouter than the radials, rigid, white with brownish tips.

Seeds

Small, brown.

Tubercles

Tubercles arranged in 13-21 series, low, crowded, obtusely tetragonal-pyramidal, very milky, axils of tubercles densely filled with white wool and numerous hair-like bristles up to 20 mm long.

Flowers

About 1 cm long and in diameter, white to rose-red, in a circle near the summit.

Blooming Season

Spring.

Stem

Symmetrical, solitary, slowly becoming branched, flattened-globular to short cylindrical, rounded or depressed at the summit, light to dark green, 15-20 cm high, 9-10 cm in diameter with a milky juice.

Radial Spines

22-24, occasionally as many as 40, rigidly bristle-like, white, to 8 mm long, somewhat pectinate, spreading.

Fruits

Clavate, carmine red, to 10 mm long.