Xerophyte

Central Spines

About 4, rigid, similar to the radials but slightly thicker, subulate to elliptical in cross section, of which 1 porrect lower central, and upper 3 pointing upward like radials 10-18 mm long, 0,2-0,5 mm thick, at first purplish red, passing to bluish grey, pinkish or greyish, with with darker tips, and contrasts nicely with the paler radial spines. The, reddish inner layers and spine tips may lend whole stems a dull and reddish hue, especially when the spines are wet.

Seeds

Glossy black, papillate, nearly spherical to reniform seeds, 1-2 mm in diameter.

Description

Echinomastus intertextusSN|11304]]SN|11304]] is an interesting little plant, seldom more than 15 cm tall, with many stout spines that are tightly pressed against the round body of the stem. These spines obscure the stem giving the plant a pale pinkish appearance. Flowers are relatively small and white to pink in colour.

Roots

Diffuse

Tubercles

Tubercles protruding, nipple-like somewhat compressed.

Flowers

As many as 20 simultaneously on the apex of a single stem, blooming in succession, several (up to about six) at a time, broadly funnelform, nearly as broad as long, 2,3-3,0 cm long, 2,5-3 cm in diameter, pink or pinkish white, 2-3 cm long, 2,5-3 cm in diameter, often with darker pinkish midregions and tinge. Ovary bearing a few ovate scales, scales in the tube red with white margins and with or without some wool in their axils. Outer perianth-segments about 20, broadly ovate, white-margined. Inner perianth-segments 20 to 25, oblong, mucronate white or pinkish, about 2,5 cm. long.. Filaments pale green; Anthers cream yellow. Style greenish, stigma-lobes 9, erect, truncate at apex bright red or pink.

Ribs

11-13, somewhat acute, more or less divided into tubercles and extending 6-9 mm below the tubercles .

Stem

Green, globose to somewhat cylindrical, 5-15 cm or more long when sexually mature and 2-10 cm in diameter with spines obscuring the stem. Top of flowering plant and young areoles very woolly.

Fruits

Globose to ovoid fruits always in a mass of wool at the top of the plant, 8-15 mm green but upon ripening may turn tan to dull or pale reddish through-out or at the apex. The scales are few scarious and usually naked in their axils.

Habit

Almost always solitary, although they may occasionally branch once or twice, possibly as the result of injury.

Note

Echinomastus dasyacanthusSN|11316]]SN|11316]] with its distinctive shaggy appearance and comparatively long, protruding spine is now fully synonymized with Echinomastus intertextusSN|11304]]SN|11304]]. In habitat the two taxa integrates forming a unique polymorphic population with intermediate and transitional form and in no place do pure populations exist sympatrically. The taxonomic and geographic boundaries among this segregate species or forms remain controversial and the two taxa appear completely interfertile generating more confusion.

Blooming Season

Early spring. (in habitat late February through early April) for as many as 30 days. Individual flowers close at night and reopen for 2-3 days.

Radial Spines

13-25 appressed (or spreading in var. dasyacanthus), 8-15 mm long (shorter than those of var. dasyacanthus) usually paler than the radials, of which 3 or 4 of the upper radial spines white or nearly so, more slender than the others, almost bristle-like. In in juveniles plants the radials are glabrous, appressed and the porrect lower central spine is often absent.

Areoles

Elliptic to nearly circular with felted areolar groove 5 to 6 mm apart