Xerophyte

Central Spines

Absent or 1(-2), to 7 cm long, curved.curved, unequal, brownish to yellowish, 3-5 cm long. central absent or 1, to 7cm, upcurved.

Description

Echinopsis maximilianaSN|13469]]SN|13469]] is a widespread and very variable cactus species commonly forming clusters. It has dark green globular to short cylindrical heads about 5 cm in diameter; each head has up to 20 ribs. The spine colour varies from off-white and yellow to brown. The flowers are very beautiful, orange-red a with orange-yellow throats and long lasting. Three subspecies are recognized (Hunt et al. 2006), namely the nominate form, subsp. caespitosa (J.A.Pupus) M.Lowry and subsp. westii (Hutchison) M.Lowry.

Flowers

Funnel-shaped, scarlet with orange-yellow throats, 5-8 cm long and in diameter, sometimes the inner tepals tipped darker. Innermost tepals somewhat reduced, more or less erect. Stamens bunched round the style. Tube very hairy.

Spines

Extremely variable, usually not clearly differentiated as central and radials.

Ribs

12-20 (or more), straight, acute, with hatchet-shaped tubercles between the areoles.

Stem

Depressed-spherical, to obovoid, to short cylindrical, grass green to dark green, shiny, 7-20 cm high and 5(-7.5) cm in diameter.

Radial Spines

4-12, to 1.25-5 cm long, curved, unequal, brownish yellow.

Fruits

Reddish green, hairy, to 1.2 cm in diameter.

Areoles

Whitish with little wool, to 2 cm apart.