Xerophyte

Description

It is a small solitary cactus with a radially segmented body showing the typical habitus of this flat, globular genus. The cephalium, which stays just as flat, is covered by the flowers that come out of it. These cacti are not easy to cultivate, but when grown to maturity, however, they possess an exotic look shared by no other cacti, and they’ll generally attract a lot of attention. D. horstii is really distinctive and obviously deserving of specific rank.

Note

Discocactus horstiiSN|21884]]SN|21884]] takes up fog-water through its thorns and also it has a peculiar epidermal surface that may be capable of permitting water to enter the stem.

Flowers

The deliciously fragrant nocturnal blooms are 7.5 cm long, 6 cm inches in diameter. They come in profusion in summer, out of a cephalium covered by whitish to light brown wool and bristles. Fruit is white.

Ribs

12 to 22 prominent, narrow, straight, of even width not thikened at the areoles and not tuberculate, with 12 to 14 areoles per rib on plants with cephalium.

Stem

About 5-6 cm in diameter (up to 8 in culture) The plant with cephalium only grows to be 2-3(-5) cm tall; The colour of the epidermis is at first green and later dark red/brown to almost black.

Radial Spines

8 to 10 inconspicuous, light coloured recurved backwards in a comb like arrangement, 2-4(-7) mm long.