Xerophyte

Habit

It is usually simple or branching, but older plants may exhibit limited branching with as many as 10 or more branches.

Central Spines

(2-)3-4(-6), not angled, straight, 6-20 mm long, when they number two or three, they are positioned in a single vertical row otherwise, they spread in all directions, usually reddish (Rarely cream or yellowish), the lower one often curved, much more elongated than the others, usually white, somewhat translucent, although often with a reddish tip, and up to 20-30 mm long. In juvenile plants the central spines are more slender than in adults and may be absent or present.

Seeds

1-1,3 mm long and broad, black, dull, papillate (pitted), the hilum nearly basal, round.

Flowers

Produced on lateral midstems, but sometime lower, funnelform, not opening widely, 20-34 mm long, dark green, yellowish green, bronze-green, brown or dark chocolate-brown, 2 cm. long. Usually unscented. Ovary with white wool and white spines about 6-12 mm long. Inner perianth segments 2,5-5 mm wide, not broadening throughout their length brownish-green or rusty and greener toward the center, often with dark green midlines with the margins lighter green and suffused with brown, tips acute-apiculate, rounded, or even emarginate. Outer perianth segments often with brownish midlines and margins olive-yellow. Filaments pale yellow or greenish. Anthers cream coloured or yellow. Stile greenish, 1,2-2 cm long. Stigma lobes 8-10 dark green.

Blooming Season

Spring for 15-30 days. ( in habitat from March through May). Individual plants or stems may produce more than 30 flowers at a time.

Ribs

About (10-)11-16(-18), often nearly hidden by the densely set spines, well defined, undulate, and tuberculate, at the areoles with shallow furrows between the ribs and the tubercles.

Stem

Cylindrical, erect, pale green, 7-15(-25) cm long, 5 to 8 cm. in diameter.

Radial Spines

Several (15-23 or more), tightly appressed, evenly radiating around the areoles or slightly spreading, 12-14 mm long, the upper 4-6 of them often shorter and weaker, never hairy, quite variable in colour even in different areoles on the same plant, ashy white, cream, grey, reddish, or reddish black, or even variegated often with darker distal portions or tips and forming horizontal bands around the stem. In juvenile plants the radial spines are short, pectinate, and appressed, except in turgid seedlings, where the radials may be spreading. All the spines has a bulbous base but usually covered, until they are very old, by the wool of the areoles.

Fruits

Small, nearly globular, 5 to 17 mm long, green (or dull purplish red), indehiscent, covered with small bristly spines, that easily fall away, leaving a glistening fruit wall.

Areoles

Nearly circular, or elliptic to oblong and 3-4 mm long, and 3-6 mm apart on the ribs. Only areoles near the stem apex have copious short white wool. Floriferous areoles remains as persistent conspicuous tuft of wool even after the flower or fruit has fallen.