Xerophyte

Seeds

Black or dark brown, glossy, bowl to helmet shaped about 2 mm long, 3 mm broad.

Description

Hanazono kabuto is one of the most famous and peculiar Japanese Astrophytum cultivars. Some additional woolly areoles are produced on the ribs surface. Flowers buds develop from the median line between two ribs and usually they are not produced by areoles. This plant, like "Superkabuto", is unmistakable. This cultivar - despite to its beauty - is very rare and sought after by collectors, for its unique features. There are several forms mainly selected by Asian growers, the best of themAstrophytum asterias cv. Super HanazonoSN|26127]]SN|26127]] combines the inimitable furry additional areoles of cv. Hanazono with the large mosaic of extensive white spots of cv. Superkabuto. The result is an intensely white and furry plant.

Roots

The underground body is fleshy, turnip-like, with fine diffuse roots.

Flowers

Apical, diurnal, radial, 3-5 cm long, 5-9 cm in diameter opening widely, yellow with orange/red throats. Ovary and tube very short, densely covered with thin, bristle-like, black tipped scales and with cobwebby wool in axils.

Blooming Season

Spring to summer and each flower lasts for one or two days only, but the plant may flower at any time during the warmer months of the year if adequate water is provided.

Spines

Not any.

Ribs

The stem is typically divided by very narrow but distinct vertical grooves into 8 broad ribs. The ribs are very low, almost flat on top, forming triangular sections with no cross-grooves. The normal rib number eight is very stable in wild specimens, independent of the age of the plant, but in cultivation selected cultivars and hybrids can have from 4 to 13 ribs.

Stem

Non-branched, much depressed, disc-shaped to low dome-shaped, showing a characteristic star shape if seen from above, grey-green to dull green (unless stressed), mature plants up to 7 cm tall, 5-16 cm broad, dotted with a mosaic of white spots and additional woolly areoles produced on the ribs surface. Cultivated plants possess sometimes very dense and big hairy areoles.

Fruits

Oval to round, about 1,5-2 cm long, green, pinkish or greyish-red densely covered with spines and dull-white wool, becoming dry and finally breaking off at or near base (not opening above the base).

Areoles

True areoles round, prominent, 3-12 mm in diameters, forming a line up to the centre of each rib, felted to hairy, white, creamy, dirty-yellow till straw-coloured, then grey. Normally 3 to 10 mm apart, but sometime very close one to each other in cultivated plants. Provisional monstrous areoles more or less dense both on the ribs and in the line of conjunction between contiguous ribs.