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.

slender cylindric, 4.5–10(–30) × 2–3.5 cm, tapered at base, firm;

tubercles 5–9 × 5–9 mm;

axils appearing naked;

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.

14–22(–23) per areole, whitish to yellowish near base, pale reddish brown to nearly black toward tips, glabrous;

radial spines 13–21 per areole, whitish, with reduced dark tips relative to central spines, bristlelike, 5–9 × 0.16 mm, stiff;

central spines 1(–3) per areole, porrect, hooked, (7–)9–18 × 0.16–0.45 mm;

subcentral spines 0(–3) per areole, adaxial to central spines, ± transitional to radial spines.

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.

1.5–3 × 1.2–2.5 cm;

outermost tepal margins densely short fringed;

inner tepals white or pinkish with bright rose-pink midstripes, 14–19 × 5–7 mm;

stigma lobes magenta, 3–6 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, obovoid to nearly clavate, 7–15 × 4–7 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.

black, 0.9–1.1 × 0.8–1.1 × 0.7 mm, pitted;

testa hard, brittle;

anticlinal cell walls straight (not undulate);

interstices conspicuously wider than pit diameters;

pits bowl-shaped.

= 22.

= 22.