Description of Turbinicarpus alonsoi

T. alonsoi [Click the image for more pictures]
Photo © Mark Faint
Glass and Arias, KuaS, 47(2): 26-27, 1996

Plant solitary with flattened spherical body, 6-7 (-9) cm in diameter. Body mostly underground, underground part partially exposed by the erosion of the substratum, to 11 cm long. Ribs arranged in tubercles, these 15 mm long and 13 mm wide at the base, slightly angular, upper side keeled, however concave at the base, clearly keeled on the underside, arranged in spirals, opposite contact parastichy with a number relationship of 5:8 or 8:13, from grey-green to glaucous in colour. Areoles at first with reddish brown wool, later becoming grey. Spines 3-5, up to 20 mm long, flattened, cardboard like, grey with dark tip, irregularly bent inwards, frequently weathered, not piercing.

Flowers from March to October, mainly between April and June, 20-28 (-30) mm in diameter, 25-30 (-38) mm long, standing above the tubercles by ca. 10 mm, with approximately 22 inner (petals) perianth segments, these 3.5-4 mm wide, cherry red to pink-magenta, with more intensely coloured mid-stripe, 16-22 mm long, the top with a slightly serrate edge, ending in an approximately 1 mm long tip, approximately 12 outer (sepals), scale like perianth segments, more intensely red with pale edge, 3-12 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide. Pericarpel zone of the receptacle 10 mm long, 3.5-4,5 mm in diameter, above reddish - dark purple, whitish at the base, Ovary to 4 mm in diameter, to 6 mm long. Pistil 15 mm long, white, standing above the stamens by around 2-4 mm, with 6 white, 1.5-2 (-2.5) mm long stigma lobes. Fruit to 10 mm long, to 5 mm in diameter, smooth, reddish-dark purple, brighter at the base, opening with 1-2 longitudinal tears. Seeds 1 mm long, 0.75 mm high, with black, tuberculate testa.

Locality: Guanajuato, Guanajuato, México.

Notes

This is a very easy to recognise species of Turbinicarpus because of its striking similarity to an Ariocarpus sp. More commonly sold as a grafted plant which takes more time to display the characteristic shape of the tubercles.

Clarke Brunt has some habitat photos of this taxon on his Mexican homepage.

References

[Back to Previous Document] [Up to Site Index] [Up to Section Index] [Next Document]
[Valid 4.0 HTML] Site Created By: Mark Faint
Maintained With: HTML-Kit
HTML Checked By: Weblint, HTMLCheck, NSGMLS & SP Wizard
[Viewable on any browser]   Last Modified: 9th November 2000
Comment (Email): Webmaster@mfaint.demon.co.uk
 Comment (Form): Fill out a form