Description of Turbinicarpus mandragora spp. beguinii

T. mandragora ssp. beguinii [Click the image for more pictures]

Photo © Mark Faint

Body at least in cultivation solitary, well hardly offsetting voluntarily, spherical or somewhat conical, rounded above; apex rather deeply sunken, but fully hidden by the snow-white, dense Wool and close packed spines; blue-green, 6-8 cm high and likewise in diameter. Ribs fully arranged in tubercles, in 13 and 21 rather dense spirals, rhombic or sub-square, conical; the upper somewhat compressed from the sides, with sharp upper and lower edges. Areoles 3-4 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad, oblong lanceolate or elliptical, the younger with rather ample, short, snow-white, curled wool, only slowly becoming bare. Radial spines mostly 12, awl-shaped, stinging, diagonally standing off, upright, the middle or lower the longest (to 17 mm), upper the shortest; sometimes only 3 mm long, snow-white, translucent, young almost glass-like, black tipped. Central spines 1, much longer (to 30 mm), somewhat stronger, standing diagonally upright at the upper end of the areole, white, but at the top and further down dark brown to black; later becoming grey, and the radial spines radiating horizontally, almost comb-like.

Length of the whole flower 2-2.5 cm. Ovaries almost spherical, green, bare. Flower broadly funnel-shaped. Sepals linear, blunt, green with violet edge; inner linear - lanceolate, pointed, bright- and dirty violet, inside brownish. Filaments white; Anthers dark chrome yellow. The white style towering over them with 6 recurved lobes.

Locality: Coahuila, México.

Related taxa

Turbinicarpus mandragora ssp. beguinii is part of the mandragora aggregate of taxa, together with the following:

References

Weber, Gesmtb. Kakteen, 442, 1898

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