Flora of North America species comparison

segments not disarticulating, blue- to yellow-green, sometimes tinged maroon-purple, flattened, spatulate to broadly obovate or subcircular, thick, 5–22(–35) × 2–13.5(–16) cm, nearly smooth, papillose to puberulent (rarely glabrous);

areoles 4–16(–19) per diagonal row across midstem segment, circular to elliptic, 3–5 × 3 mm;

wool white to tan, aging gray.

0(–8) per areole, when present, usually in distal areoles, spreading, yellow, straight, acicular, 5–25 mm.

0–11 per areole, in nearly all areoles to only in some marginal areoles or absent, spreading in all directions, yellow, aging brown, straight or curving, the longest stout, oval in cross section, 12–40(–60) mm, not markedly barbed.

numerous, nearly filling areoles, yellow to red-brown or dark brown, to 3 mm.

inconspicuous, few to many in crescent at adaxial edge of areole, yellow, aging brown, often incurved, subequal to increasing in length toward adaxial edge of areole, to 4 mm.

inner tepals pink to magenta throughout (rarely white), 25–40 mm;

filaments red-magenta (rarely pale);

anthers yellowish;

style white to pink;

stigma lobes white to cream.

inner tepals light yellow throughout, 25–30 mm;

filaments yellow;

anthers yellow;

style and stigma lobes yellowish.

maturing tan, 20–40 × 15–23 mm, dry at maturity, puberulent, spineless (except in var. treleasei);

umbilicus 5–12 mm deep;

areoles 24–76.

purplish throughout, stipitate, ellipsoid or barrel-shaped, 40–60 × 25–30(–40) mm, juicy, spineless;

areoles 6–10.

yellowish to tan, ± subspheric but angular, thick, 6.5–9 × 6.5–7 mm, sides smooth or bearing 1–3 depressions;

girdle protruding to 1 mm.

tan, subcircular, 4–5 × 4–4.5 mm, with slightly irregular surface;

girdle protruding to 1 mm.

= 44 (cultivated), 66.