Xerophyte

Habit

It is a solitary or slowly clustering cactus, with peculiar spine clusters characteristically bent backward in a distinctive fashion.

Central Spines

One, subulate, rigid 25-30 mm (rarely up to 5 cm).

Seeds

Microsemineum type, section pirisemineum, very smal.

Description

Gymnocalycium pflanzii subs. zegarraeSN|18750]]SN|18764]] (better-known in cultivation as G. zegarrae) is a naturally occurring larger variant of Gymnocalycium pflanziiSN|18764]]SN|18750]] that looks very much like the standard pflanzii but fruits are green or rarely orange with white pulp (in subsp. pflanzii fruits are deep red-carmine at maturity and have a cherry-red pulp). However the two plants are quite similar and it is hard to tell apart one from the others if not fruiting.

Roots

Fibrous

Flowers

Campanulate to cup-shaped born near the apex, diameter and height 30-45 mm. Pericarpell dull green very short.

Spines

Strong, very stiff, bent backward, initially blackish with a brown base then becoming grey-pinkish to whitish brown with black point.

Ribs

13 to 22 thick, large, divided into indistinct, polygonal-rounded (not chinned) tubercles, separated by arched furrows.

Stem

Flattened-globose, 11-18 (at times up to 30 cm) cm in diameter, 6-10(-25) cm tall grey-green, to olive green. The epidermis has a velvety appearance. The apex is slightly depressed and woolly.

Radial Spines

About 8, rigid slightly curved, radiating laterally, somwhat pectinated, up to 25 mm long.

Fruits

Globose to ovoid of approximately 2 cm of diameter, green or rarely orange with white pulp and splitting open vertically at maturity.

Areoles

Large long, oval up to10 mm long, with light grey felt, then blackish with time.