Xerophyte

Leaves

Minute, 2 mm long.

Description

Tacinga inamoenaSN|19087]]SN|19087]] is a shrubby, much branched, plant, often prostrate and spreading over the earth like a harrowing matweed, to 50 cm high and 3.5 m wide. The flowers are the most showy of the genus. Large and shiny, they almost look like they're made of wax. The stamens are erect and form a column surrounding the stigma. This species displays considerable morphological variability among its populations.

Roots

Fibrous.

Stem Segments

Grey-green or bluish, green when young, round to obovate or oblong, with slight protuberances on the surface, flattened, 8-16 cm long, to 9 cm wide, usually quite thick, sometimes 3.5 cm thick.

Flowers

Opening during the day, small, brick-red or orange, opening widely, to 5.5 cm long and 4 cm in diameter. Petals spreading. The stamens are touch-insensitive, erect, unlike those of Opuntia, whose the stamens are spreading and always sensitive and form a column surrounding the stigma. Filaments orange. Occasionally buds are crested. Style yellow; stigma-lobes pale green;

Chromosome Number

2n = 44

Spines

Usually none, but rarely the plant develops 1-2 greyish white, acicular spines up to 3 cm long on some joints

Fruits

Globular to slightly oblong, dark green or dark-brown, becoming yellow-orangish during maturation, 2.5-4.1 cm in diameter, presenting small clusters of glochids distributed on its surface. Each fruit is about 10-14 grams in weight, and the its edible portion, pulp and fleshy pericarp, corresponds to 62, 8% of the total fruit weight. The seeded pulp is yellow-orangish in colour and get stronger as maturation advances, and contains small and numerous crispy and brown seeds.

Areoles

Small, grey to yellow, when young filled with minute yellowish-brown glochids. Glochids unequal, spreading, usually wanting on old joints.