Xerophyte

Habit

It is a low growing perennial stem-succulent usually solitary and unbranched, but occasionally may form small clumps with few heads.

Central Spines

4-6 (sometimes as many as 14), stouter than the radials, slightly spreading, those toward top of plant connivent, 12-20 mm long, black or bluish black in their upper half, shading into red, nearly white at base.

Seeds

Brown, flattened, 1,5-2 mm long, reticulated.

Tubercles

15-18 mm long closely set and entirely hidden by the densely matted spines.

Flowers

Small, solitary, opening in bright sunlight at the top of the stem, up to 3 cm long, 1,5-2,5(-4,5) cm in diameter. Outer perianth-segments more or less cilate; inner perianth-segments, straw yellow, dirty-greenish-yellow, rusty or brown coloured (sometimes dull pink) with a darker midline, linear-lanceolate, narrow, acute. Stigma-lobes white to greenish.

Blooming Season

Blooms in early summer ( in habitat from April to May). Flowers open during the afternoon and only stay open for two hours or so.

Spines

Not well differentiated as centrals and radials.

Stem

Cylindrical, 8-15 cm (sometimes to 25 cm) high, 6-9 cm in diameter, densely covered with spines.

Radial Spines

12-20, white except at tip, spreading, 10-12 mm long.

Fruits

Central, green, to 2,5 cm long, juicy, bearing 5 or 6 scales near top.