Xerophyte

Central Spines

0(-3) per areole, if 1, erect, if 2, ascending-spreading, 8-20 mm long.

Stigma

3-7, green or yellowish, 1-5 mm.

Roots

Diffuse or short taproots, sometimes adventitious from bases of branches.

Tubercles

5-21 soft; areolar glands absent;

Flowers

Nearly apical, 18-50 mm long, 15-50 mm wide tepals, fringed (rarely entire), pale greenish yellow to yellow-green, with midstripes of green or rose-pink to pale brown

Spines

6-21 per areole, slightly pubescent, bright white, pale grey, or pale tan, weathering to grey or yellowish brown, dark brownish orange to pale brown or pale greyish pink tips present on all or only the largest plants;

Stem

Deep-seated in substrate, becoming flat-topped and nearly subterranean in winter, 2-8 wide × 1-10 cm tall;

Fruits

Bright orange-red to scarlet when mature, spheric to ellipsoid, 5-10 mm, slightly succulent but not juicy, floral remnant weakly persistent, often lost through weathering.

Filaments

Brighter pink than inner tepals, pinkish with greenish white bases, or uniformly whitish;

Note

At first glance it seems very much like Escobaria viviparaSN|10274]]SN|9953]] but the strange copper flower colour and brightly coloured fruit will quickly distinguish it. Though not exactly showy, the straw-yellow, brown, or amber flowers are quite appealing, as are the bright red fruit that persist from late summer to spring. It is variable over its huge range, and worth obtaining in various forms.

Anthers

Bright yellow;

Radial Spines

6-20 per areole, moderately to tightly appressed, 4-16 mm

Areoles

With short white wool, not obscuring the basal portion of the spine.