Flora of North America species comparison

segments firmly attached, green, 3–9(–15) × 0.5–1.5(–2.2) cm;

tubercles prominent, short, 0.5–1 cm;

areoles oval to obdeltate, 2–6 × 1.5–4 mm;

wool pale yellow to white, aging gray.

0–5 per areole, usually in distal areoles or sometimes absent or nearly so, tan to red-brown to deep purple, aging gray;

major abaxial spines 0–1(–2), the longest spine spreading, (1.5–)2.5–6 cm;

adaxial spines usually reflexed, short to ± 1 cm;

sheaths baggy.

(1–)3–8(–10) spines per areole, in all but basalmost areoles, best developed toward apex, interlacing with spines of adjacent areoles, whitish or pale yellow, pale red-brown, sometimes tipped yellow, of 2 kinds;

radial spines slender, flattened basally, deflexed, 5–8 mm, surrounding central spines;

central spines usually 4(–6), spreading into a cross, stout, subterete, 2–3.4(–4.5) cm;

also 0–2 bristlelike spines;

sheaths whitish to pale yellow (rarely golden) throughout or tipped yellow to golden.

in subcircular to linear adaxial tuft, yellow to tan to brown, to 2 mm.

in adaxial tuft, yellow, 1–3 mm.

inner tepals bronze-red ± suffused rose, with mid stripes darker, ovate, 6–13 mm, acute-apiculate to attenuate;

filaments greenish;

anthers yellow;

style whitish or blushed with rose-pink or light green;

stigma lobes whitish.

inner tepals yellow to green-yellow, spatulate, 15–25(–30) mm, apiculate;

filaments yellowish or yellow-green;

anthers yellow;

style white to yellowish;

stigma lobes whitish, yellowish, or pale green (rarely pink tinged).

maturing tan, ellipsoid to stipitate-ellipsoid, 15–30 × 10–15 mm, dry at maturity, tuberculate, developing increasingly burlike, with many bristlelike spines;

areoles (32–)40–66, evenly spaced, woolly.

rarely proliferating, yellow to greenish yellow, broadly cylindric to subspheric, 18–30(–35) × 15–22(–32) mm, fleshy, tuberculate, spineless;

tubercles subequal or distalmost longest, usually prominent;

umbilicus 7–8 mm deep;

areoles 36–62.

pale yellow to tan-gray, angular to squarish in outline, warped, 4–4.5 × 3.5–4 mm, sides irregularly concave-convex;

girdle smooth.

pale yellow, subcircular to slightly angular in outline, flattened to warped, 3–3.5 × 2.5–3.5 mm, sides smooth or with 1–3 depressions;

girdle smooth.

= 22, 44.

= 22, 44.