Flora of North America species comparison

segments not disarticulating, dark or bright shiny green, wrinkling when stressed, circular to broadly oblong to obovate, 5–17.5 × 4–12 cm, fleshy, usually tuberculate, glabrous;

areoles 4–6 per diagonal row across midstem segment, oval to circular, 2–4 mm diam., not raised, sometimes somewhat sunken;

wool tan to brown.

often absent or 1–2(–3) per areole, spreading, whitish to brownish, terete, straight, and usually stout, 25–60 mm; occasionally also 1 deflexed spine present.

2–3(–5) per areole, spreading, yellowish, aging gray-white;

major ones straight, stout, slightly flattened, commonly spirally twisted, longest to 25–60 mm.

in dense crescent of adaxial edge of areole and in dense tuft overtopping crescent in age, yellow to red-brown, to 4 mm.

dense in crescent at adaxial edge of areole, sparser along sides of areole, yellow, turning red to brown, to 5 mm.

inner tepals pale to bright yellow throughout, 20–30 mm diam.;

filaments yellow to orange;

anthers pale yellow to cream;

style and stigma lobes white.

inner tepals yellow throughout, to 30 mm;

filaments and anthers pale yellow;

style pale greenish yellow;

stigma lobes pale cream.

greenish, tardily becoming apricot to brownish red, elongate, 30–50 × 12–20 mm, fleshy, tapering at base;

pulp green and sour, becoming reddish and sweet under ideal conditions;

areoles 10–18.

reddish at maturity, obovoid, 40 × 25 mm, fleshy, glabrous;

areoles 17–21, bearing few spines to 9 mm.

tan, 3.5–4.5 mm diam., thickish;

girdle protruding to 1 mm.

tan, subcircular, ± 3 mm diam.;

girdle to 0.3 mm.

= 22 (Puerto Rico).