Flora of North America species comparison

unbranched or branched near base, depressed-spheric, spheric, cylindric, or elongate-cylindric, 4.5–45 × 3.5–14.5 cm;

ribs (10–)13(–16), tubercles evident on ribs.

0–3-branched, green to dark green, ovoid or cylindric (sometimes narrowly so), 3–15 × 2–8 cm;

ribs (6–)13(–14), tubercles prominent on ribs.

frequently obscuring stems;

radial spines 8–17 per areole, usually white, sometimes brown or purplish pink, 6–36 mm;

central spines (3–)4–6(–8) per areole, 1–5 hooked;

abaxial central spine usually purple black, hooked, 15–72 × 0.6–1 mm;

lateral spines 2–6 per areole, similar to abaxial, usually shorter, usually not hooked;

adaxial central spine usually white (rarely gray, straw colored, pink, or reddish brown), flat to angled or terete; straight (rarely contorted), 17–82(–90) × 0.7–1.5(–3) mm.

dense but not obscuring stems;

radial spines 6–12(–16) per areole, spreading, white, 3–18 × 0.3–1.2 mm, pubescent;

central spines (1–)3–6(–7) per areole, terete to angled, pubescent in young and early reproductive plants;

abaxial central spines 1–3 per areole, tan to brown, reddish, or black, irregularly- or strongly-hooked, 20–55 mm;

lateral spines (0–)2(–4) per areole, white, tan, red, or reddish brown, usually hooked, sometimes flattened and ribbonlike, 10–40 mm;

adaxial spine 1 per areole, tipped white or dark, flattened and ribbonlike, (5–)35–60(–70) × 1.5–2.5(–3.5) mm.

funnelform to campanulate, (2–)3–5.7(–7) × 2.5–5.5(–8) cm;

outer tepals with greenish or brownish purple midstripes and rose to purple, pink, yellow, or white margins, oblanceolate, 25–50 × 6–10 mm, mucronate, margins entire;

inner tepals rose to purple, pink, or yellow (rarely white), oblanceolate, 15–55 × 6–12 mm, margins entire to fringed, apex mucronate;

filaments purple, yellow, or green;

anthers yellow;

ovary papillate, appearing granular.

funnelform to campanulate, 2–4 × 1.5–3 cm;

outer tepals with reddish brown midstripes and violet-pink or reddish purple margins, usually oblanceolate, 15–20 × 6–10 mm, margins irregularly toothed, apex mucronate;

inner tepals lavender to reddish purple, oblanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate, 15–20 × 4–6 mm, apex minutely toothed;

filaments red-violet or pink;

anthers yellow;

styles minutely and sparsely papillate.

irregularly dehiscent, green turning reddish pink, 10–30 × 10–15 mm;

scales few, membranous fringed.

dehiscent along 2–4 vertical slits, green to pink or pale red, barrel-shaped, 9–15 × 8–13 mm, dry;

scales few, membranous, slightly scarious-margined.

dark brown to black, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–3 mm;

testa with rounded papillae.

black, 2–2.5 × 3–4 mm;

testa with rounded papillae.