Xerophyte

Central Spines

One thin narrow, flexible, bulbous at the base, curved, elliptical in transverse section, imitating dried grass, up to 3 cm long and yellowish-brown in colour. Older plants can have two more additional central spines.

Seeds

0.9-1.2 mm long black.

Description

Turbinicarpus graminispinusSN|23797]]SN|23797]] is an attractive solitary miniature Turbinicarpus species with many long interlocking, intertwined spines at the apex of the appearance of dried grass (hence the specific epithet graminispinus)

Tubercles

about 4 mm long, conical, 1.5 mm ø at the apex, 3.5 mm wide at the base, somewhat greenish.

Flowers

Funnelform huge compared with the tiny bodies, up 4 cm long and 5 cm in diameter. Its petals are pure white or slightly pinkish, with a more or less distinct pinkish midstripe, lower part green. Tepals lanceolate, on the inside almost white or somewhat pink, sometimes with pink mid-stripe, exterior furnished with a narrow brown mid-stripe. Ovary green, stigma lobes long white, anthers deep yellow, filaments white and at the base becoming green or pink.

Stem

Very small, simple, only 15–20 mm in diameter.

Radial Spines

7 white, acicular and radiating of which 5 in the lower part of the areole 3-5 mm long and 2 in the upper part up to 10 mm long, at first brownish, later becoming grey. At maturity, the 2 upper spines resemble the central spines, about 2 cm long, at first yellowish brown, later becoming grey.

Fruits

About 5 mm long, 3-4mm wide ovoid to globose, dehising longitudinally, green becoming brown at maturity.