Xerophyte

Habit

It is a geophyte cactus species and the body may shrink and disappear under the soil in times of drought. It is almost always solitary, although it may occasionally branch, possibly as the result of injury.

Central Spines

(3-)4 (rarely 6), of which 1 longer pointed upwards and 3 intermediate flattened into a Maltese cross arrangement, 0,5-2,5 cm long, mostly 0,5 mm wide at the base.

Seeds

Dark brown to black, 3 mm long, 2 mm broad, papillate and rugose.

Description

Pediocactus peeblesianusSN|11412]]SN|11412]] (a.k.a Peeble's Cactus) is a very small, cactus that shrinks into the gravelly soils after flowering and fruiting.

Flowers

Near the stem's apex, funnel-shaped, up to 2,5 cm long and 2 cm in diameter, cream, yellow or yellowish-green. Outer perianth segments pink or green with a darker mid-strip, oblanceolate, 5-13 long, 2-4,5 mm broad. Inner perianth segments cream, yellow, or yellowish green, lanceolate, 6-12(-15) mm long. The scales on the tube are yellow, cream to tan and have a brown center stripe minutely toothed or denticulate or entire and undulate. Stamens yellow. Stigma yellow.

Blooming Season

Open during the day, blooms in spring (April and May).

Spines

Corky/spongy, and flexible but have hard tips and not obscuring the stem. Ashy white to pale grey.

Stem

Globose, depressed globose or egg-shaped, greyish green 2,2-7,5 cm tall, 2-5,5 cm in diameter, often nearly buried with only the summit visible above ground. Stems have nipple tipped tubercles that form a spiral pattern around the plant.

Radial Spines

3-7 per areole, 2-10 mm long, recurving.

Fruits

Green, turbinate, drying reddish 6-11 mm long and 5-8 mm in diameter

Areoles

Circular and hairy.