Xerophyte

Central Spines

usually absent, or rarely 1 yellowish, 1-2 mm long.

Seeds

Spherical to bell-shaped, rough, covered with remnants of the membrane with a large, straight, rarely slightly oblique hilum.

Description

Rebutia pygmaeaSN|4416]]SN|4416]] is a very small clumping species, widespread and extremely variable that has received numerous unnecessary names. Some of its variable forms don't really look like the same species.

Taxonomy

(Typical form) has 9 to 11, short, appressed radial spines, 2 to 3 mm long, acicular, somewhat swollen at base. Its flowers appears on the lower part of the plant, and are somewhat curved at base, becoming nearly erect, 18 to 25 mm. long, rose-purple; scales on ovary and flower-tube small, hairy in their axils.

Roots

It has a heavy tap root that may exceed the size of the plant above soil level. Tap root more or less branched whitish.

Tubercles

About 2-4 mm wide and 1,5 mm high.

Flowers

From the basal parts of the stem, widely funnel-shaped about 20-30 mm long and 25-35 mm wide usually salmon pink, however the flowers of this species and its varieties (forms?) vary a lot and range from from white to pink, red, salmon and orange. Buds with few black scales with woolly axils and with 1-3 white bristles, 2-3 mm long. Tube funnel-shaped, 7-12 mm long, the top 6-9 mm wide, pale pink inside, outside with few scales and white hairs. Tepals pale red to dark purple (but also white, yellow orange) 10-15 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, rounded up with a small tapered tip. filaments magenta about 12 mm long. Anthers lemon yellow. Pistil light green, about 15 mm long, with 6 yellow-green stigma lobes, 2-4 mm long.

Ribs

About 10 more or less spiralling, slightly tuberculate.

Stem

10-30(-40) mm tall, 12-20 mm wide, spherical to slightly oblong, becoming short-cylindrical in cultivation. The colour of the epidermis vary from grey-green or olive-green to dark purple-green with violet tints.

Fruits

Spherical, greenish, with thin skin, drying at maturity, about 6 mm large.

Habit

It is a small geophyte cactus solitary or clustering and barely rising above ground level.

Blooming Season

Flowers all tend to come in one late Spring rush, rather than spread over the Summer.

Radial Spines

8-11, thin, bristly, pectinate, short, brown to glassy white with a darker base, 2-3 mm long.

Areoles

Oval, 1-1,5 mm long, about 0,5 mm wide, slightly brownish or whitish tomentose, 2 mm long, with abundant white or light brown felt, a little far apart.