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.

segments not easily detached, green, elliptic to narrowly to broadly obovate to circular, 4–27 × 2–18 cm, low tuberculate;

areoles 4–14 per diagonal row across midstem segment, subcircular, 3–6 mm;

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.

at all or only distal areoles of stem segment, terete to flattened, stout to acicular to bristlelike, straight to curling, of 1 or 2 kinds;

if 1 kind: 0–18 per areole, spreading and curling in various directions, sometimes straight, erect, ascending to deflexed, yellow to dark brown to black, turning gray, pink-gray to gray-brown, longest (35–)40–90(–185) mm;

if ± 2 kinds: major spines (0–)1–5, reflexed to porrect, yellow-brown to brown to gray, longest 20–150 mm;

minor spines (0–)5–11, deflexed, white to white-gray, longest 4–16 mm.

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

inconspicuous, in narrow, tidy crescent at adaxial edge of areole or in broad, brushy crescent and tuft, yellow to reddish, aging brown, to 10 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 to magenta throughout, 25–40 mm;

filaments white, yellow, or red to magenta (flowers may superficially appear bicolored);

anthers yellow;

style white to pale pink;

stigma lobes green.

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.

tan to brown, ± cylindric, 15–45 × 12–25 mm, dry at maturity, glabrous, sometimes burlike;

areoles 10–33, each or only distal areoles bearing 3–16 spines, 4–20 mm.

tan, 3.5–4.5 mm diam., thickish;

girdle protruding to 1 mm.

tan to gray, flattened, warped, oblong to subcircular, 3–7 × 2–4 mm;

girdle protruding 1–2 mm.