Xerophyte

Seeds

1,3-1,7 mm long and 0,5 -0,8 mm diameter.

Description

Solitary or slowly offsetting, globular.

Phenology

Summer grower (Dormant in winter).

Note

In the past several forms with different spine and stem size, flowers and fruit colour have been described and some authors gave them a variety name, however they grows at the same locality and under the same condition, so nowadays all them are considered part of a polymorphic species.

Flowers

Silky yellow with darker red throat , 3-4,2 cm across, 3,8-5,2(7) cm long.

Blooming Season

Summer, it flowers very well, even when quite young, producing flowers in succession.

Spines

Yellowish, central 1 to 3 hooked (5-15 mm long); radials 12 to 16 (5-15 mm long)

Stem

Up to 15 cm tall, 10 cm in diameter; around 13 high wavy ribs, dark bluish green. The cultivated variety "brevispinus" differs only for its shorter spines, while all the other trait are identical to standard species.

Fruits

Red and fleshy, globular to ovate, 8-11 mm long, that dry and fracture basally at full maturity.

Areoles

10-14 mm long, with short wool.