Xerophyte

Description

Ariocarpus bravoanusSN|2073]]SN|2073]] is a usually solitary rosette-shaped geophyte cactus with dark green verrucese tubercles. It is accepted as a valid taxon by most cactus researchers, including Hunt (1999) and Anderson (2001). Two subspecies are recognized

Tubercles

Not crowded or basally compressed, adpressed in young individuals, becoming ascending, olive-green or grey-green. triangular in outline, deltate in cross section, adaxially flat but becoming conspicuously concave at maturity, usually longer than broad (to 3 7cm long and 2cm wide basally), asperous at base and irregularly papillose at apex, sometimes with the papillae forming one or two lateral furrows, sharply acute to acuminate apically, and with the edges sharply acute.

Flowers

Up to 2.5cm long, outer perianth segments cream coloured inner perianth segments pinkish-magenta, filaments white, anthers yellow; pistil exerted above the stamens, white, style 13mm long, stigma

Spines

None.

Stem

Subglobose, markedly depressed centrally, to 6(-8.5)cm wide, rising no more than 2.5(-3.5)cm above ground level in habitat, with an extensive mucilage system.

Areoles

In the centre of the adaxial surface of the tubercles, 8-14mm from the tip, rounded to more or less elliptic, 2-5mm diam, woolly.