Xerophyte

Description

'brevispinus' warrants no varietal taxonomic ranking, as it is a recent mutant which occurred in cultivation. This plant differs from the common Echinopsis atacamensisSN|7374]]SN|7374]] subsp. pasacana only for the very short spines. Except for the spines it is identical in shape and size to the standard species, but the true self of this plant is controversial and some suggest that it may be a hybrid.

Flowers

Not known.

Spines

Only 5 becoming more numerous as the plant ages, very short, hardly emerging from the areoles felt, rigid, dark-brown coloured, the longest up to 5 mm long, but usually less.

Ribs

20-30 deep.

Stem

Columnar, cylindrical, stout, up to 30 (or more) cm across that grows very slowly several metres tall. The stem stays for a long time solitary but produces lateral branches and becomes Saguaro-like with age.

Fruits

Not known.

Areoles

Round that produce at once a whole spine cluster, but the areoles remain capable of further growth. Many years later new spines may be formed from the upper part of the areoles.