Description of Turbinicarpus lophophoroides

Photo © Mark Faint

Body solitary with a large tuberous root, somewhat depressed hemispherical or more conical, about 2.5 to 3.5 high and 4 to 4.5 cm in diameter. At maturity the apex is concealed by dense, white to silvery-grey, wool or hair, through which grow the slightly curved spines. Body colour dull grey- or more dark green. Ribs divided into tubercles. Tubercles loose packed, about 2 to 4 mm high, 4 to 6 - angled at the base, with angular or more round edges, above rather flat, about 10 to 12 mm in diameter. Areoles somewhat longitudinally stretched, about 2 to 2.5 mm long, when young with white wool, soon becoming bare. Spines 2 to 5, typically 3 to 4, of these 2 to 3 (to 4) in a cross like formation, about 4 to 8 mm long, strong needle-like or fine awl-like, flat spread and often somewhat curved to the body. Central spines 1, straight and and somewhat curved to the top, up to 1 cm long. All spines are either smooth and almost fully blackish or rough and becoming grey, sometimes then with dark tip.

Flower opens about 3.5 cm wide, almost pure white and silky, with pale pink - purple tinge. Ovaries about 2 to 3 mm in diameter, receptacle about 5 mm long, slender, outside of both pale-greenish, completely smooth. Transitional petals (scale-like perianth segments) to somewhat over 1 cm long, mostly shorter, about 2 to 2.5 mm wide, round tipped, at the base pale greenish-yellow, above more brownish olive, pale at the edges. Outer perianth segments to about 1.8 cm long and about 3 mm broad, somewhat pointed, mid-stripe olive with smooth and wide, white edge. Internal perianth segments to 2 cm long and 4 mm wide, almost pure white with silky pink purple tinge, pointed, above somewhat serrated. Filaments distributed over the base of the receptacle, light cream coloured. Anthers small, golden yellow. Style about 1 to 1.2 cm long, whitish. Stigma lobes 4, spreading, whitish, about 2.5 mm long, much shorter than the longest stamens. Flower throat whitish. Fruit greenish, turning reddish in the sun.

Locality: Las Tablas, San Luis Potosi, México.

Related taxa

Turbinicarpus lophophoroides forms an aggregate of taxa with the following:

• T.lophophoroides var. jauernigii
• T. hoferi
• T. laui
• T. swobodae

References

• Rod Turbinicarpus by M. Zachar, R. Staník, A. Lux, I. Dráb
• Turbi-Now Issue 2, 1997, by P. Lechner et al.

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