Xerophyte

Seeds

3 mm long.

Description

Eriosyce ceratistesSN|2337]]SN|2337]] is a large barrel-shaped cactus with many ribs and very spiny. Most of the plants in habitat are single headed unless they are damaged.

Flowers

Red campanulate or funnel-shaped 5 cm long, with a white hairy floral tube. Inner perianth-segments 1,5 cm long. The flower open for 3-4 hours and then whitening. There might be over 50 flowers on a mature specimen (only mature specimens bloom).

Spines

11-20 nearly equal 2,5-3,5 cm long, horn-shaped, subulated, straight or slightly curved. The colour is brown to almost black (often pale-brownish or yellowish when very young). Juvenile specimens have 1 central spine and 8 radial, but the number increase as they get older and areoles can have over 20 spines on mature specimens.

Ribs

Adult specimens have around 21-35 ribs, but fewer in young plant, while in old ones sometime more.

Stem

Solitary, emerald-blue, spherical fattened with abundant white wool on top, up to 50 cm in diameter (usually 20 to 30 cm) when very old become shortly columnar, reaching over 90 cm in height (but usually less).

Fruits

4 cm long.

Areoles

Large, approx 3 cm apart.