Xerophyte

Description

Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanusSN|12648]]SN|12648]] subs. rubriflorus is almost indistinguishable from the standard "Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanusSN|12648]]SN|12648]] subs. schwarzii", but when the buds - well hidden in the plants’ woolly crown - appear, all its magnificent and unique flower colouring reveals the difference. The flowers are much more coloured than the standard subs. schwarzii. The petals have bright pink to dark magenta midribs.

Parastichy Number

5 and 8

Roots

Tap root, nearly shaped like a drawn molar tooth, with mass of fibrous roots.

Tubercles

Flattened 4-angled (diamond shaped) broad and stumpy.

Flowers

Apical short tubed, campanulate, 20-30 mm long, 30-40 mm wide, sepals lanceolate, margins entire white or pale pink with darker bright-pink or purplish midribs.

Blooming Season

Spring to autumn.

Spines

1 to 3 spongy yellowish brown or whitish horn coloured, the lower one longer, up to 2 cm, the 2 side spine approximately 4-5 mm, often missing, still shorter, flattened below, curved towards the apex and often contorted grey, corky, rather soft, with transverse fissures. The spines are bunched at plant apex and persistent only on the upper body, below they fall off and the body and tubercles are corky and bare.

Stem

Solitary or slowly clumping (dichotomy also observed) flattened semi-globose; turbinate, pale greysh-green globose, with a further 30 mm underground, 2 cm tall, 3,5-5 cm in diameter (but often larger in cultivation).

Areoles

Oval, woolly, at top of plant, quickly disappear.