Publication: (Glochidless form)
Description
Freely clustering succulent with small pads. It forms a dense shrub, to 40-60 (occasionally more) cm high, up to 1.5 m across. This plant may be of hybrid origin.
Cladodes: 7.5-15 cm long by half as wide, grass-green to greys-green as they ages.
Areoles: Round, small with brown felt, often with the minuscle remnants of dried leaves.
Leaves: Green tinged reddish, inconspicuous, very small 1-2 long and ephemeral (very short living).
Spines: It has no spines and no glochids.
Flowers: Pale lemon yellow translucent, 3-5 cm in diameter followed by red fruits.
Origin and Habitat
Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar perhaps of hybrid origin)
Cultivation and Propagation
They are easy to culture. Require full sun to partial shade with a well-drained soil mix. The plants are watered and allowed to dry thoroughly before watering again. During the winter months, the plants enjoy a cold place where the temperature is dropped to 5/10° C, but hardy to -5° C for short periods of time if very dry. During this period water only enough to keep the pads from shrivelling.
Propagation: Cuttings taken at any time in the growing season. Remove a pad from the plant and then leave it in a dry sunny place for a couple of days to ensure that the base is thoroughly dry and has begun to callous. Pot up into a porous compost. Very easy, rooting within a month.
