Xerophyte

Central Spines

4, one of them longer than the others, somewhat curved, rather stiff 3 to 6 cm long.

Seeds

Rounded (rarely faceted) brownish black, smooth, shining, delicately tessellate/reticulate, 2,4-3,1 mm long.

Description

Echinocactus polycephalusSN|940]]SN|940]] subs. xeranthemoides is similar to Echinocactus polycephalusSN|940]]SN|940]], but globose and smaller. It is caespitose and sprouts freely around the base forming unsymmetrical clumps with rarely more than twelve individual heads and is sometimes solitary. Ribs fewer and more spiny.

Flowers

Produced at the stems apex, bright yellow, 5 cm long; scales on the ovary and flower-tube linear, pink, papery, stiff, but not pungent, the longer ones 2 to 3 cm long, persistent; perianth-segments narrowly oblong, more or less serrate, apiculate or cuspidate; stamens included; style yellow, included.

Blooming Season

Summer (In its native habitat habitat bloom in from June to August) and seeds mature about a month later.

Chromosome Number

2n = 22.

Spines

About 12 (10 to 15), glabrate, when young whitish pink, red or straw coloured, but in age a dirty grey, slender and rather stiff, more or less annulate.

Ribs

13, interrupted or somewhat tubercled, sharp on the margin.

Stem

Globose, 2,5 to 18 cm high, light green, grey-green or yellow-green.

Radial Spines

3 to 4 cm long, more or less curved backwards.

Fruits

Shortly oblong, 3 cm long, densely and permanently white-woolly. Fruit scales tan, yellow, or reddish, ageing yellow, 16-30 mm, usually longer than dried tepals at fruit apex. The fruit dries slowly and may persist on the plant for several months and dehisce by a basal pore through which the small seeds pass easily.

Areoles

Circular, about 1 cm in diameter, often less than 2 cm apart.