Xerophyte

Habit

Cylindrical cactus, at first simple but usually clustering with time from the base.

Central Spines

1 to 4 (Usually absent in standard Echinocereus subinermisSN|16544]]SN|16544]]) mostly very short, occasionally up to 2 cm long, dark porrect.

Flowers

Funnelform, from near the top of plant, and from second to third areoles on the ribs, showy up to 4,5-6,5 cm long and 4,7,5 cm in diameter (up to 13 cm broad in standard Echinocereus subinermisSN|16544]]SN|16544]]), perianth segments oblanceolate, acute, canary-yellow delicately sweet-scented, often with some reddish midstripes. Stigma with 8-11 green lobes. Filaments light yellow. Spines of areoles on ovary and flower-tube short, white to brown with scarce white wool..

Blooming Season

Spring and summer. The individual flowers will last up to six days. Blooming generally begins 4 to 5 years after sowing, as the plant matures.

Spines

Younger plants have short spines while older ones are almost spineless.

Ribs

8-11 (mostly 10) slightly notched with narrow furrows between them, broad somewhat sinuate, rounded.

Stem

When young pale green, afterwards bluish green and finally darker green with occasionally some reddish areas, 4-10 cm tall,4-7 cm in diameter.

Radial Spines

8 or 9, widely spreading, small, unequal, conic, the 2 upper ones being shorter, 5-10 mm long, yellowish, or creamishi with a darker tip, deciduous.

Fruits

Obovoid, up to 2 cm long, spiny, dark grey-green with white pulp, deciduous by a longitudinal split.

Areoles

Small, slightly woolly, 10 mm apart.