Flora of North America species comparison

segments easily detached, whorled, obscuring trunks, light green, 4–6 × 0.8–1.2 cm;

tubercles prominent, 1–2 cm;

areoles subcircular, 2–3.5 mm in diam.;

wool tan.

6–20(–30+) per areole, often accompanied by 0–5 short bristlelike spines at areole margins, usually in distal areoles;

major abaxial spines deflexed to divergent, subterete to flattened;

major adaxial spines ascending-divergent, terete, yellow or tan to deep red-brown, aging gray, the central spine longest, 12–30(–38) mm;

sheaths white to grayish with yellow to golden tips, baggy to tight fitting.

7–13(–21) per areole, at most areoles, spreading, obscuring stems, yellow- to red-brown to nearly black, tipped yellow, subterete to angularly flattened, the longest 1.5–5 cm;

sheaths loose fitting, ± yellow to tan, 1.5–2 mm diam.

in inconspicuous to small adaxial tuft, yellow to brown, 0.5–2 mm.

in adaxial tuft, yellow, 2–4 mm.

inner tepals bright yellow to bronze to brick red, spatulate, 20–30 mm, apiculate-emarginate;

filaments red;

anthers yellow;

style and stigma lobes white to light green.

inner tepals yellow-green, tinged purple-red, aging reddish brown or bronze, spatulate, 15 mm, apiculate;

filaments pale green basally to purplish distally;

anthers orange-yellow;

style cream to pale green, sometimes faint purple-pink distally;

stigma lobes very pale green.

tan at maturity, obconic to ellipsoid, 15–35 × 15–20 mm, dry, tuberculate, densely to sparsely spiny (rarely spineless), with apical flange above shallow umbilicus;

basal tubercles longest;

areoles 12–30.

usually sterile, often in chains of 2, yellow, top-shaped, 20–30 × 10–20 mm, pulpy, tuberculate, spineless (rarely few-spined);

tubercles subequal;

umbilicus 5–8 mm deep;

areoles 20–35.

pale yellow to tan, angular or squarish in outline, warped, 3.5–5 × 3–4.5 mm, sides smooth, each with 2–4 large depressions;

girdle smooth.

, when present, yellow-tan, subcircular, flattened, 3 mm diam., sides smooth;

girdle narrow, not protruding.

= 22, 44 (one count).