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.

1–5(–8) per areole, at most areoles, spreading, white with red base, becoming dark red-brown with pale tips, aging gray, stout, usually curved, elliptic in cross section, longest to 70 mm.

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

closely spaced in crescent at adaxial edge of areole, along margins of areoles, and in subapical tuft, yellow, 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 deep yellow with red basal portions, to 35 mm;

filaments yellow;

anthers pale yellow;

style cream;

stigma lobes yellow-green.

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

umbilicus 5–12 mm deep;

areoles 24–76.

often sterile, sometimes proliferating, yellow to red, ovoid to obconic, 28–32 × 13–22 mm, usually fleshy, becoming dry, tuberculate, glabrous;

areoles 20–30, distal areoles bearing 1–4 red-brown and white spines, to 25 mm.

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.

few, tan, subcircular to irregularly shaped, 4–5 mm diam.;

girdle protruding to 1 mm.

= 44.