Xerophyte

Habit

It is a slow growing attractive plant with short, closely interwoven, hairy spines. It is solitary to densely caespitose.

Seeds

not seen.

Roots

Thick root

Tubercles

Green, close together, terete, long and thin, tapering toward the tips, without latex, 6-10 mm long; axil with long bristle-like white or yellowish hairs protruding above the tubercles or absent.

Flowers

White to creamy-white coloured, 8-15 mm long; inner perianth segments white; filaments white, style cream-coloured; stigma lobes 4, short, obtuse.

Blooming Season

It produces ring after ring of flowers throughout most of the winter.

Spines

Not differentiated as central and radials, very numerous (up to 50 or more) in several series, white to creamy-yellow with yellow bases, spreading, fine, bristle-like, slightly puberulent, 2-5 mm long, tips hairlike.

Stem

Globular to shortly cylindrical, more or less rounded at the top, dark green, soft-fleshed, 2,5-10 cm tall 4 to 6 cm thick.

Fruits

not seen.