Xerophyte

Central Spines

One, stiff, erect, not hooked, brown to black.Radial spines. as many as 20, slender, flexible, straight or somewhat curved, lowermost one long and sometimes hooked, dull yellow to pinkish grey, becoming darker with age, 8-22 mm long.

Description

Neowerdermannia chilensisSN|22416]]SN|22416]] is a small growing plant of dark body colour with slender spines and creamy-white flowers that at fist glance look a lot like a Neoporteria. The body tapers off into an immense tap root, without the constricted neck that separates the body and tap root found in Wilcoxias, and some Thelocacti. It is very slow growing and the height is less than half the diameter.

Roots

Thick tap root.

Note

Neowerdermannias are closely related with Gymnocalyciums but the "chins" characteristic of the Gymnos are not in evidence, and they could never be mistaken for a Gymno.

Tubercles

Broadly triangular.

Flowers

Small, wide funnel-shaped with spreading limb, creamy-white flushed pink. Pericarpel scaly (like in gymnocalyciums) without bristles or spines. Tube short pale to very dark pink.

Ribs

About 15, indistinct, spiralling, broad at the areoles and strongly tuberculate.

Stem

Globose to depressed globose, solitary or gregarious dark bluish green, without felt at the apex. When young the contraction of the tap root during the winter used to pull the plant right down into the ground so that it is nearly visible. Often as the plant becomes older the stem elongate.

Fruits

Reddish, small.

Areoles

At the base of upper side of tubercles.