Flora of North America species comparison

(8–)10–15 per areole, at most areoles, interlaced with spines of adjacent areoles, usually uniformly, diffusely spreading and nearly completely obscuring stem, pale yellow to yellow to tan, aging brown;

abaxial spines spreading to deflexed, subterete to flattened, the longest (10–)15–25 mm;

adaxial spines erect or spreading, terete, the longest (10–)20–28 mm;

sheaths uniformly whitish or pale yellow, not obviously baggy.

in broad adaxial crescent, sometimes extending along areole margins, yellow, 3–4 mm.

inner tepals pale green to whitish, sometimes tipped red, spatulate, (15–)20–25 mm, emarginate-apiculate, often erose;

filaments green;

anthers orange;

style light green;

stigma lobes light to dark green.

usually sterile, not proliferating, yellow at maturity, cylindric to broadly obconic, (15–)22–40 × (8–)16–20(–28) mm, fleshy-leathery, strongly tuberculate, becoming spineless, losing bristlelike spines of young fruit;

umbilicus 8–10 mm deep;

areoles 36–64, evenly spaced.

, when present, pale yellow, in gelatinous mass, angular to squarish in outline, 2.5–4 × 2.2–3.5 mm, warped, sides with 1–2 large depressions;

girdle smooth or as very narrow marginal ridge.

= 22 or, usually, 33.