Xerophyte

Central Spines

Absent.

Seeds

Black.

Description

Rebutia taratensisSN|5226]]SN|5226]] best known as SulcoSN'>5225' alt='5221'>Rebutia taratensis#SN#5226'>Sulco[[Rebutia taratensisSN' style='border

Roots

More or less thickened and carrot-like.

Flowers

Numerous at the base of the plant, typically dark purple, with a silky sheen. Floral tube funnel-shaped, with broad naked scales

Ribs

Few, spiralling, poorly distinguished, forming oblong rhomboid tubercles with well-defined grooves.

Stem

Single heads 15–30 mm wide, and 25-50 mm tall, globular, to clavate somehow apically depressed, very dark tanned green to dark magenta-green sometime tinged red, not completely hidden under the covering of spines.

Fruits

Small papery olive green to reddish brown at maturity.

Habit

It is a clumping plant growing readily forming, especially in cultivation, clumps of hundred of heads from the base.

Note

Rebutia taratensisSN|5226]]SN|5226]] is apparently a neotenic variety of the species in which juvenile spination is retained throughout the life of the plant, while many of the other varieties are dimorphic (short spined juvenile forms transform at maturity to strongly spined forms).

Blooming Season

Spring (April - May) and remain open for up to five days.

Radial Spines

(6-)8-12(-14) about up to 3 mm long, acicular, adpressed against the body, thin, pectinate pointing sidewards and downwards less than 5 mm in length. Creamy-white, with darker brown base. These spines don't obscure the stem but form a nice spiralling pattern.

Areoles

Narrow 1-3 mm long, 0,5 mm large almost naked, depressed with short grey or brown felt.