Xerophyte

Central Spines

A little longer and stouter than the others.

Note

“clava', club; for the shape of the stem segments.

Tubercles

Erect, elongated, somewhat 4-sided Axils of tubercles with white wool and with a red gland at base of groove. The glands tend to exude a sugary solution when growing.

Flowers

Very large, sometimes 9 cm broad, pale yellow, with the outer segments tingedwith red; perianth-segments glossy, linear-oblong to spatulate, outer ones entire, inner ones serrateand mucronate at apex; filaments orange; stigma-lobes 6, linear, yellow.

Stem

Cylindrical to club-shaped, deep green, up to 30 cm tall, initially erect but becoming prostrate with age.

Radial Spines

Usually 7, straight, horn-colored, about equal.

Areoles

Coryphantha clavaSN|3896]]SN|3896]] has a common type of spine-areole, white-villous with a strong central spine that is somewhat curved and numerous thin radial spines that tend to lie flat against the stem.