Xerophyte

Description

'brevispinus' warrants no varietal taxonomic ranking, as it is a recent mutant which occurred in cultivation.This plant differs from the common Golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusoniiSN|3345]]SN|3345]]) only for the very short spines. Except for the spines it is identical in shape and size to the standard species. It has a single slowly growing globe-shaped stem that became elongated (barrel-shaped) in maturity, up to 90cm (180cm) in height and spread. This stem is pale green and heavily ribbed with numerous areoles sprouting radial, yellow spines. They normally offset with advanced age and a few multiples occur even at small sizes.

Flowers

The flowers are produced from end of spring to summer only on larger mature specimens receiving enough full sun. Flower are diurnal, vivid yellow (4-5 cm wide) and form a circular ring at the top of the plant, but are not very visible being small in relation with the size of the barrel, and lost into the creamy coloured wool at the plant apex.