Xerophyte

Habit

At first simple or slowly clumping.

Central Spines

Usually absent or one (1 to 4 in var. ochoterenae) very short and inconspicuous to up to 2 cm long, thin and porrect.

Description

Echinocereus subinermisSN|16544]]SN|16544]] is the least armed species of the genus with very short spines and huge yellow blooms.

Flowers

Large and showy up to 10-12 cm in diameter near the stem tips and from second to third areoles on the ribs, perianth segments oblanceolate, acute, cream to bright-yellow delicately sweet-scented, often with some reddish midstripes. Stigma with 10-12 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

5-11 with narrow furrows between them, broad somewhat sinuate, rounded.

Stem

When young pale green, afterwards bluish green and finally darker green and more or less purplish, 10-20 cm tall, 7 to 9 cm in diameter.

Radial Spines

0 to 10 (usually 3 to 8), widely spreading, small, unequal, conic, yellowish, or creamy with a darker tip, deciduous, 1 to 8 mm long (or more).

Fruits

Obovoid, spiny, grey-green with white pulp, deciduous by a longitudinal slit.

Areoles

Small, slightly woolly, 10-12 mm apart.