Xerophyte

Habit

Demnozas is a large slowly growing columnar cactus. It stay globulous during a long period before becoming shortly column-shaped, 0,5 to 1,5 cm high.

Central Spines

1 (But often absent) stouter up to 3 cm long.

Description

Denmoza rhodacanthaSN|8000]]SN|7993]] cv. Orange Spines is an outstanding cultivars with strong orange to rich-amber coloured spines instead of brownish red. This plant has been selected in cultivation and is propagated by controlled pollination, however orange spined plant can occur in nature, and among cultivated specimens too. This species shows a large range of variability in spine colour (white, yellow, orange, reddish or brown) some plants has only strong short radials while older plants have also several greyish-white, long, fine, bristle like spines (Denmoza erythrocephalaSN|7993]]SN|8000]]). The variability in spination of the plant from different population and the clones on the market is considerable.

Flowers

They need to reach a reasonable size in cultivation before producing their flowers. First flowers appear near the top of the stem, however, on plants of very unequal age and size, some time on relatively young plants but also on 30-40 years old specimens! Flowers are zygomorphous (bilaterally symmetrical), of a maximum length of 7,5 cm, reddish to bright scarlet in colour and have white hair on the tube. Floral tube usually curved and slightly dilatated above the pericarpel, which bears small appressed scales. The flower open sufficiently widely so that the stigma and red stamen filaments are visible from outside. Anther exerted at least 10 mm beyond the tube.

Ribs

15 to 30, parallel straight, slightly undulate, broad basally up to 1 cm tall.

Stem

The plant's diameter ranges from 15 to 30 cm, the stem colour varies from pale green to dark green.

Radial Spines

8 to 10, orange to rich-amber coloured becoming grey, awl shaped and slightly curved, very different in young and old plants.

Fruits

Globose, dry at maturity, dehiscent with tuft of short hair-like spines.

Areoles

Well spaced at first, later confluent. Flower producing areoles often bears many long bristles and up to 7 cm long spines.