Xerophyte

Central Spines

4-5, reddish brown, the longer to 2.5 cm long, sometime only a few mm long.

Description

Cleistocactus paraguariensisSN|4742]]SN|9554]] is a shrubby, sprawling cactus forming low clumps that produces nice zygomorphic flowers. It is generally included within (as a synonym of) Cleistocactus baumanniiSN|9554]]SN|4742]], suggesting that there is not really a fundamental difference between the two, and hard to name accurately without knowing where they come from. The name paraguariensis, meaning “of Paraguay”, refers to the origin of this plant.

Flowers

Zygomorphic, double-curved, orange-red, to 5 cm long barely open. Nectar chamber 5 mm long, 3 mm wide. Tube purple almost cylindrical, reddish brown with narrow yellowish to red scales, ca 1 mm long, and small white wolly hairs. Filaments white red above, anthers lilac. Petals 9 mm long, 3 mm wide, red, erect, spreading out of the corolla about 8 mm. Style white, stigma lobes c. 7 yellowish-green.

Ribs

10-11, notched, ca 2 mm high, a little crenate

Stem

Green, 10-15 cm in diameter, 10-15 mm thick, basally branching. Branches break off easily.

Radial Spines

12-15, yellow to reddish yellow with darker tips, the upper ones 2-6 cm long, the lower ones (shorter), 2-4 mm long.

Areoles

Ovate ca 1,5 mm in diameter, almost black, becoming grey, 3-6 mm apart.