Xerophyte

Roots

Fibrous.

Flowers

Not seen.

Spines

Dense, stout, subulate and ringed, chalky white to greyish-pink that turn a darker (redder) colouring when sprinkled with water. The spines in young specimens almost obscure the plant bodies.

Ribs

On young plants as few as 8, broad, high with pronounced tubercles and more or less undulate, but in old plants very numerous and rather thin. The juvenile Echinocactus looks quite different from the mature specimens. In fact, as with other Echinocactus and Ferocactus seedlings, the rib structure is not yet completely apparent, and they have making them look superficially like Mammillarias.

Stem

Subglobose or shortly cylindrical, flattened on top greyish-green to blue-green. The stem is supposed of intermediate dimension between the two parents, and may be rise to side shoots from old areoles.

Fruits

Not seen.

Areoles

Roundish, with abundant greyish wool remote on young plants, confluent in old flowering plants.