Flora of North America species comparison

0 or 1–15+ per areole, few and at distal areoles or many and on most areoles, usually erect to spreading, appearing unruly, sometimes deflexed, straight or curving, acicular, often flexible, subterete to flattened basally;

longer ones reddish brown to ± black (rarely yellow to red in w Texas), or partly to wholly white, 30–120(–170) mm; reflexed spine rarely present, 1 in some areoles, short, whitish.

usually 4–12 per areole, evenly distributed on stem segments, spreading, bright yellow to orange, red-brown at extreme base, aging tan to blackish, not chalky white, acicular;

major spines (1–)3–5(–6) per areole, sometimes flattened and/or curved, 20–60 mm;

smaller spines 1–7 per areole, slender, to 20 mm.

dense in crescent at adaxial edge of areole and well-developed subapical tuft, reddish yellow, aging brown, 2–3(–6) mm.

well spaced in very narrow row encircling areole, subapical tuft not or poorly developed, yellow, unequal in length, to 5 mm.

inner tepals yellow with red basal portions, obovate-apiculate, 25–40 mm;

filaments and anthers yellowish;

style cream;

stigma lobes green.

inner tepals yellow with orange to red bases, obovate, 30–40 mm;

filament yellow to pale green;

anthers pale yellow;

style yellow, sometimes basally pinkish;

stigma lobes green.

red to purplish, obovoid to barrel-shaped, 25–40 × 20–23 mm, fleshy or ± juicy, glabrous, spineless;

umbilicus 8–10 mm deep;

areoles 22–44.

green to reddish, turning tan, burlike, 30–40 × 20–25 mm, beginning fleshy, quickly drying, glabrous, bearing several rigid, yellow spines;

areoles 12–25.

yellowish, suborbicular to reniform, angled, 5–7 × 3.5–5 mm, sides flattened;

girdle protruding 0.8–1.2 mm.

tan, flattened, irregular in outline, 3–6 mm diam.;

girdle protruding to 1 mm.

= 22, 44.

= 22.