Xerophyte

Description

This taxon looks like to subsp. rioverdensis, but smaller, with larger but narrow whitish flowers. The seeds are smaller. Spines are whitish, longer, nidiform (nest-like) and curved up to 50 mm long.

Flowers

Apical, narrow funnelform, whitish, 20-30 mm long, 25-40 mm wide. Fruit

Spines

2, whitish/yellowish, 25-50 mm long, papyraceus. The spines are nidiform (bunched at plant apex) and persistent only on the upper body, below they fall off and the body and tubercles are corky and bare.

Ribs

Not evident, forming flattened rhomboidal tubercles.

Stem

Dark green, unbranced, sub-globose, flattened above ground, up to 25 mm wide and 15 mm high.

Areoles

Rounded, with white wool when young, later glabrous.