Xerophyte

Habit

It is a shortly columnar cactus appearing star-shaped from above. It is the largest and easiest to grow and also the fastest of the Astrophytum. It is also generally more heavily spined than other Astrophytum.

Central Spines

usually 1 rather larger.

Description

Astrophytum ornatumSN|3660]]SN|3660]] cv. Hukuryu Hania is one of the most beautiful Japanese cultivar with ribs irregularly supplied with raised ridges and white linear, woolly areoles. It appears to be a very variable plant especially for the density and distribution of ridges and white scales, with many forms, and has been widely hybridized with other Astrophytum cultivars, giving rise to an infinite range of variation. The whiter and more wrinkled forms are often very pretty and appreciated by collectors.

Flowers

At apex, large, lemon-yellow 7-12 cm broad.

Ribs

It has 5 to 10 (generally 8) straight, rather prominent, strongly compressed, and crenate. Typically the Hania forms has ribs more or less monstrous whit thin, small, extra ribs in the fissure between the true ribs (often with wool and spines) and the surface is wrinkled and covered with white felted ridges.

Stem

The stem is solitary, globose when young, cylindric with age, 30 to 120 cm (or more) high, 15-30 cm across, greyish-green to dark-green with more or less dense white or yellow woolly flakes in bands forming an ornate pattern.

Radial Spines

5-11 stout, 2-4 cm long usually straight, subulated or ± laterally compressed, amber yellow, later brown and finally grey.

Areoles

1 to 5 cm apart, yellowish-white felted or woolly with the woolly part often extending between contiguous areoles and forming an almost continuous felt line along the rib. In this felted line are sometime present spines.