Xerophyte

Habit

It is a miniature globose cactus, erect, clumping over time, not deep-seated in substrate, appearing ashy grey and relatively rough in general aspect.

Central Spines

One, conspicuously longer than in other subspecies, mostly 4-5mm long (occasianally up to 20 mm), downwards curved and often black-tipped.

Description

Epithelantha micromeris subs. unguispina (best known under its old name Epithelantha unguispina) is similar to the type species but usually a little larger and free clustering with a distinct, slightly long projecting black-tipped central spines, also the pink flowers are larger than the others.

Roots

Diffuse.

Note

Its fruit are known in mexico as "chilitos."

Tubercles

Numerous, not confluent into ribs, hemispheric or short cylindric, very small, ca. 1-3 mm; arranged in tight spirals around the plant.

Flowers

Small but larger than the others subspecies, pale to deep pink, funnelform diurnal, borne at adaxial margins of spine clusters in the plant top.

Blooming Season

Flowers late winter to spring. Autosterile. It is very floriferous.

Stem

Unsegmented, globular, up to 8 cm tall and 6(-7) cm in diameter, often flat-topped with a depressed centre, 3-6 cm in diameter, occasionally more; surface not completely obscured by spines; cortex and pith are not mucilaginous.

Radial Spines

(16-)18-22(-24) white to ashy grey white and flattened, somewhat pectinate, appressed on sides of stems, straight, terete, slender, innocuous 1-2,5 mm long.

Fruits

Indehiscent, bright red, thin narrowly cylindric, 3-20 × 2-3(-5) mm, weakly succulent, soon drying and papery, smooth, spineless; pulp absent; floral remnant deciduous.

Areoles

Small at tips of tubercles, 1 mm long, nearly circular, elliptic when distended by flower or fruit, slightly woolly when young, copiously woolly only at sexually mature stem apex; areolar glands absent;