Xerophyte

Habit

It is a slow-growing geophytic succulent, with solitary or multiple stems barely rising above ground level.

Areoles and Spines

Dimorphic, with the spines-producing portion on the outer part and the flower-producing portion at the base of the tubercle. Small, oval, woolly on the new growth in the inner portion of the pointed tubercles apex. While the new growth continues, these areoles produce a few short, more or less pectinate spines. With age, the areoles disappear and the oldest tubercles have a bare, blunter apex.

Description

The typical Pelecyphora strobiliformisSN|1558]]SN|1545]] (commonly known as the "Pinecone Cactus ") is among the most famous of all cacti for is unique shaped stem. It grows almost always as a solitary plant levelled with the ground. Pelecyphora strobiliformisSN|855]]SN|1545]] f. cristata (crested form), only deviate from the standard species for the stem which is fan shaped up to 30 cm (or more) long with age.

Roots

Large, spindle shaped, compressed taproot.

Note

Although adult specimens of Encephalocarpus strobiliformis bear scale-like tubercles, which are very different from the laterally compressed tubercles of Pelecyphora aselliformisSN|1545]]SN|855]], all the other characteristics clearly show that they are congeneric, while a third species, Pelecyphora valdezianaSN|1545]]SN|1558]], does not seem to clearly belong to this genus, and it is now brought into synonymy with Turbinicarpus.

Tubercles

Spirally arranged overlapping, scale-like, imbricated, and closely applied to each other, flat and convex on the inside and carinate on the outside. The base is woolly.

Flowers

Borne at the base of young tubercles near the top of the plant, diurnal, bell-shaped or funnelform, brilliant, pink to reddish-purple, about 3 cm long, with greenish outer segments and incised or curly inner segments.

Stem

Spherical to flattened globose, greenish to yellowish-green, somewhat resembling a pine cone and vaguely reminiscent of Ariocarpus, 2-4 cm tall, 4 to 6 cm in diameter (or more, in cultivation).