Flora of North America species comparison

fleshy taproots, to 24 cm, 5–8 cm diam.

diffuse;

upper portion not enlarged.

cylindric to ovoid-cylindric, commonly 5–15(–25) × 3.5–7(–10) cm, flaccid;

tubercles 4 mm diam.;

axils short woolly;

cortex and pith mucilaginous;

latex absent.

narrowly cylindric or clavate, 6–15(–30) × (1.5–)2–3.5(–4.5) cm, firm;

tubercles 3–5 × 3–5 mm;

axils with abundant, persistent, white wool, longest in flowering zone (where exceeding tubercle tips);

cortex and pith not mucilaginous;

latex absent.

21–64 per areole, dark or light colored, depending largely on substrate color, glabrous (to hoary);

radial spines 30–46(–60) per areole, white, bristlelike, 6–10 × 0.09–0.15 mm, stiff;

central spines 1–3(–4) per areole, porrect or strongly projecting, usually hooked, (6–)13–18(–25) × (0.2–)0.3(–0.4) mm;

subcentral spines several, often 12+ per areole, radiating in all directions, often resembling supplementary ring of radial spines, barely distinguishable from radial spines, stouter, longer and dark tipped or purplish.

(33–)43–60 per areole, white to gray, tan, or pale reddish (central spines with darker, usually chalky blue tips), glabrous;

radial spines (27–)37–49 per areole, white or pale tan, bristlelike, 3–6 × 0.05–0.1 mm, stiff, contrasting sharply with robust central spines;

central spines 6–12 per areole, straight or weakly recurving throughout their lengths, not hooked, all ± projecting, abaxial and lateral central spines straighter and shorter, 5–8 mm, adaxial central spines 10–15 mm, all 0.2–0.3 mm diam.

2.5 × 2.5–3.5 cm;

outermost tepal margins long fringed;

inner tepals pink to rose-purple, margins sometimes paler or white, at least proximally, 24–26 × 4 mm;

stigma lobes yellow-green to green.

0.9–1.5 × 0.6–1.3 cm;

outermost tepal margins toothed;

inner tepals maroon-red to rusty red or reddish purple, with paler margins, 4 × 1.5 mm;

stigma lobes dull pinkish white to reddish purple or orange-yellow, 1 mm.

bright red, ellipsoid or cylindric to clavate, (8–)15–30 × 5–10 mm, juicy only in fruit walls;

floral remnant quickly deciduous, leaving conspicuous abscission scar.

bright red, cylindric-clavate, 15–20 mm, juicy only in fruit walls;

floral remnant persistent.

black, conspicuously strophiolate, 1.4–2.4 × 1.4 mm, pitted and rugose;

testa hard;

anticlinal cell walls straight (not undulate);

interstices narrower than pit diameters;

pits bowl-shaped;

strophiole tan, large, corky.

light to dark brown, 1–1.2 mm, pitted;

testa hard;

anticlinal cell walls deeply sinuate;

interstices narrower than pit diameters;

pits irregularly bowl-shaped.

= 22.

= 22.