Xerophyte

Central Spines

1-4, straight, stout-subulate, more or less flattened, 20-40(-50) mm long, the lowermost down-pointed and sometimes grooved, the others curving towards stem apex, ochre to reddish often white, but sometimes banded with red.

Seeds

1.6-2.2 x 1-1.5 mm, tubercuate, black, truncate at base, ridged on back; hilum basal, white, circular.

Tubercles

Rounded.

Flowers

Like those but up to100 mm wide, Deep pink- magenta with a orange-red throat, base orange. Scales on ovary and flower-tube ovate, greenish; margins thin and ciliate. Inner perianth-segments light purple, darker at base, oblong. Stigma-lobes yellow.

Spines

Spines variable as to number, shape, size, and colour.

Ribs

8 or 9(-11), very large rounded and obtuse, more or less distinctly tubercled.

Stem

Depressed to globose, usually solitary, 4-7 cm tall, 6-15 cm wide, somewhat green to bluish green (glaucous), or yellowish.

Fruits

Globose, small, 1.5 cm. in diameter.

Note

heterochromus Greek 'heteros', different; and Greek 'chromos', colour; for the spines shaded in different colours.

Blooming Season

Flowers appear in mid-summer (in habitat from June through August).

Radial Spines

6-9(-10), straight, acicular to subulate, usually terete, straight or incurved, 16-28(-40) mm long, ochre to reddish, more or less banded with red and white or pale yellow, otherwise like the centrals.

Areoles

Without glands, large, closely set on old plants, densely felted when young, naked in age .