Xerophyte

Central Spines

4-8 thick, conical, less than 5 mm tall, hard, blackish. Young plants and offshoot initially have longer and weaker spines, the stout short conical spines appear only later.

Description

Echinopsis eyriesiiSN|17377]]SN|8004]] is a very popular large caespitose cactus, widely grown for the huge nocturnal flowers. It is the best known and most commonly grown globular cactus.

Roots

Fibrous.

Flowers

Nocturnal, pure white, very large, from the side of plant but above the middle, 17 to 25 cm long, 5-10 cm in diameter (The presence of pink shades in the flower shows hybridization). Floral tube funnel-shaped with a strong basal part underlying the ovary, then narrow and variously curved and gradually extending into the crown, dark green covered with small, ovate, brownish scales and dark grey to black hair. Lower outer perianth segments, rather linear and greenish, inner perianth-segments broad and white, acuminate. Throat greenish, with several several stamens around the inner perimeter. Stamens and style shorter than the perianth-segments. Flowers are intensely fragrant.

Spines

Several, 14 to 18, very short.

Ribs

9 to 18, not tuberculate, prominent, rather thin above.

Stem

Globular, later elongated and almost cylindrical, 15-30 cm high,12 to 15 cm thick, dark green and heavily ribbed.

Fruits

Up to 5 cm long, green, covered with hairs and containing a large number of black seeds.

Habit

Simple or (usually) clustered, branching basally. In time it may exceptionally forms large mounds up to 1,5 m tall and 2-3 m wide.

Blooming Season

Flowers appears from spring to summer in several flush at night. In sunny weather the next day they fade, but in cold, rainy weather they may last two, rarely three days.

Radial Spines

Thin 5-10 mm long often missing in adult specimens.

Areoles

Circular, filled with white or tawny wool up to 1 cm apart.