Publication: Blätt. Kakteenf. 1: 8, 1949
Description
Mostly branched with age, forming clumps.
Stem: Lime green, 6 cm in diameter, 5-7 cm tall, apex depressed with white wool.
Roots: Fibrous.
Tubercles: Conical, later rounded pyramidal, strongly elongated upward, with a pronounced groove on upper surface, dimension about 1-1,2 cm long, width at the base 15 mm. Parastichy number 8-13. Axil woolly only near the stem apex.
Areoles: Round, ± 2 in diameter with white wool in youth.
Radial spines: 14-18, grey-white, radiating, horizontal to slightly protruding, straight, acicular up to 1,6 cm long largely obscuring the stem, upper 2-3 more closely set, lower ones horn coloured, upper ones brownish coloured later turning grey from the base.
Central spines: 1, sometime appearing very late, often not in all areoles, at first black, then grey-white and spotty, whit black tip. 15-20 mm long, porrect, curved downward, thick and stiff.
Roots: Diffuse or short taproots.
Flowers: Nearly apical, funnelform, 3,5 cm wide, pale yellow (sometimes pinkish and proximally reddish). Perianth segment entire, lanceolate, the outer one with a reddish midstripe.
Fruits: Green, ovoid, slimy; floral remnant strongly persistent, fruiting 2-4 months after flowering.
Seeds: Reniform, brown 1,5 x1 mm wide, testa reticulate.
Origin and Habitat
Mexico (Northeast of Durango)
Habitat: It grows in hill and slopes on lava gravel substrate.
Cultivation and Propagation
In cultivation it is quite sensitive to over-watering (rot prone), and needs good drainage. Keep drier in winter. Like other species from the USA. it blooms quite early, but needs about 8-10 years to reach the typical, definite outlook. It needs full sun; and is hardy to -16° C or less for short periods of time.
Notes
This species is one of those Coryphanthas which pass a purely radial-spined youth stage in which they are already floriferous.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
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Dr. med. Reto F. Dicht, Adrian D. Lüthy “Coryphantha: Cacti of Mexico and Southern USA” Springer, 2005 ISBN: 978-3-540-22306-1
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Nathaniel Lord Britton, Joseph Nelson Rose “Cactaceae: Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family” Courier Dover Publications, 1963
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Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
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James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass” Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
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David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. “The New Cactus Lexicon” dh books, 2006
