Flora of North America species comparison

segments not disarticulating, green, flattened, elliptic to obovate to rhombic, 15–25(–40) × 6.5–14 cm, ± tuberculate, glabrous, usually glaucous;

areoles 5–7(–8) per diagonal row across midstem segment, prominent, subcircular(-oval), 4–6 × 4–5 mm, enlarging in age;

wool gray.

segments not easily detached, bluish to gray-green, flattened, circular to broadly obovate, 15–30 × 12–25 cm, nearly smooth, glabrous;

areoles 5–7 per diagonal row across midstem segment, elliptic to obovate, 3–8 × 2–6 mm;

wool tan, aging blackish.

4–11 per areole, in most areoles, yellow with chalky white coat, to yellow with red-brown basal portions, aging reddish gray;

erect ones terete, stout, straight;

abaxial ones reflexed, shorter, to 12 mm;

adaxial spines spreading, longest spines 20–40 mm.

1–5 per areole, spreading, yellow to orange, tipped yellow, darkening with age (at higher elevations), or dark red-brown (lower elevations), ± acicular, longest 20–67 mm, terete to flattened near base, often curved.

moderately dense in crescent at adaxial edge of areole, merging with subapical tuft when present, yellow to red-brown, to 5 mm.

widely spaced, in crescent at adaxial margin of areole, partially encircling areoles, and in poorly developed subapical tuft, yellow, of irregular lengths, tending to elongate towards bases of areoles, to 4 mm.

inner tepals yellow to dull red throughout, 35–45 mm;

filaments yellow to orange-yellow;

anthers yellow;

style pink to red;

stigma lobes yellow-green to green.

inner tepals pale yellow to buff throughout, to 25–30 mm;

filaments pale green;

anthers and style yellow;

stigma lobes green.

dark red-purple throughout, obovoid, 35–50 × 30–35 mm, juicy, glabrous, spineless;

areoles 22–36.

reddish purple, ellipsoid to spheric, barrel-shaped, 33–45 × 40–50 mm, juicy, base not or little tapered, glaucous, spineless;

areoles 16–20, mostly near apex.

gray, subcircular, warped, 3–4.5 mm diam.;

girdle protruding 0.5 mm.

yellow to tan, 3.5–4.5 × 3–4 mm diam.;

girdle protruding to 1 mm.

= 66.

= 22.