Xerophyte

Central Spines

1-2, sharp, black, directed downward or upward, to 2.5 cm long, later to 3.5 cm long.

Seeds

1.6-1.8 x 1.1-1.2 mm, brownish.

Note

The specific epithet honors the German botanist Alexander Curt Brade (1881-1971) of Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro, specialized in the study of the orchids and ferns of Brazil and Costa Rica.

Flowers

Flower-buds numerous, often from one side of stem near the apex, obtuse before anthesis. Flowers up to 6.5-8.0 cm long 3.5-4.0 cm in diameter; pericarpels and floral tubes dark glaucous blue ridged, glabrous except for scattered bract-scales. Outer perianth-segments 9-12 mm long, dark blue to purplish cream, inner segments 18 mm long, white or cream. Anthers 2.2-3.0 mm. Style 45-48 mm long, tapering. Stigma-lobes about 10, 9 mm long.

Spines

Variable, often absent on older stems. Spines on young areoles missing or few, if present, black or dark reddish brown, old areoles with 5-7 spines, porrect.

Ribs

8-9(-11), about 1 cm high and to 2.5 cm wide, rounded in section, with transverse furrows between areoles.

Stem

Club-shaped to cylindrical, sometimes slightly constricted, 1-3.5 m high, branched above the ground, glaucous blue when young, especially when stressed, later dull gray, 8-9 cm in diameter, quite vertical and almost like a smooth version of Euphorbia abdelkuriSN|21582]]SN|21582]]. Both the spines and the waxy cuticle tend to be shed as the stems mature. The stems seem to break rather easily due to the peculiar weakly woody vascular cylinder and the mucilaginous succulent tissues. Fertile part of stem not differentiated (lacking a cephalium).

Radial Spines

4-5, brownish, to 1.5 cm long.

Fruits

Globose, smooth, naked, intense glaucous blue, to 4,5(-5.5) cm x 3.5 cm, in diameter.

Areoles

Oval, up to 3 mm in diameter, felt short, at first white, becoming blackish, in age nearly naked, 20-23 mm apart.

Seedlings

Seedlings have more ribs (about 10) and areoles with dense reddish spination.