Xerophyte

Habit

It is a cespitose, very freely clumping species, forming clumps 30 or more cm in diameter, usually composed of 10 to 100 stems but sometime larger, such that large specimens can have many hundreds of heads with lots of small immature stems.

Central Spines

1-5(-9), porrect, straight, radiating or appressed with bulbous bases, (2-)4-9(-17) mm long, snow white to rarely tan, some with dark pinkish or brownish tips, shortest one out of centre of areole, often protruding outward and downward.

Seeds

0,9-1,6 mm long, comma-shaped, bright reddish brown, brownish orange, pitted.

Description

Escobaria sneediiSN|21585]]SN|10397]] is a low-growing, perennial stem succulent appearing completely covered by tight pure white spines. This plant is a possible relative of Escobaria villardiiSN|10397]]SN|21585]].

Roots

Diffuse when young, or sometimes with a single definite, fleshy tap-root, which runs some centimetres before reducing.

Tubercles

(2-)4-9(-12) mm hight.

Flowers

Nearly apical pink to pale rose, (7-)11-25 mm long and in diameter, not opening widely. Outer perianth segments narrow, with fringed edges and prominent pinkish, brown, or greenish midveins and edged in very pale pink. Inner perianth segments paler, edges fringed at least halfway to pointed tips, sometimes notches in otherwise entire margins of petal ends. Filaments white to pinkish or magenta with yellow or orange anthers. Stigma white or yellowish white. Style white longer than stamens with 3-4 slender white stigma lobes (sometime pinkish or yellowish).

Blooming Season

Spring (in habitat from March through May) Flower opens fully only about noon for 3-14 days.

Spines

31-68 per areole, needle-like, very dense, obscuring stem, spreading parallel to stem surface, all white when mature; pinkish when growing.

Stem

Spherical when young, cylindrical or club-shaped with time, much-branched, obscured by spines, (2-)3-13(-27) cm long and 12-45(-70) mm in diameter. Green,

Radial Spines

25-46(-52) appressed, slender, (3-)5-9(-14) mm long, snow white.

Fruits

Crimson red, brownish-pink or green, not very succulent, thick, almost spherical, obovoid, club-shaped or cylindrical, 6-21 mm long and in diameter, but usually a little longer than thick, often with a few hairy scales, floral remnant persistent.