Description of Turbinicarpus swobodae

T. swobodae [Click the image for more pictures]

Photo © Mark Faint

Diers, KuaS, 38(4): 86-91, 1987.

Body solitary, rarely offsetting, upper visible part flat to hemispherical, to ca. 5 cm wide, to ca. 3 cm high, dark grey-green - pale blue-green (brownish when dried in the sun), apex ± clearly sunken. Lower, not visible part ± short cylindrical, narrowing at the base, densely covered with the old, dried up tubercles. Root not turnip-like, consisting of several thickened branches, which branch greatly, however not forming an extensive root system. Ribs divided into tubercles, arranged in 5 and 8 (in small specimens) as well as in 8 and 13 (in large specimens) spirals. Tubercles ca. 4-10 mm wide, ca. 3-5 mm high, occasionally ± conical, mostly irregularly pyramidal with 5 to 6-angled base, lateral surfaces bulging out (when dryer out, flat and partly indented), edges mostly rounded, occasionally both sides and front ± sharp edged. Areole on the tip of the tubercle, ± round to mostly oval, ca. 1.5-3 mm long, ca. 1-2 mm wide, with white, felt composed of short hairs, later becoming yellowish-brownish and ultimately becoming bare. This felt is densest and longer lasting on the upper half of the areole.

Spines 4-6, ± from the lower half of the areole; 1 below, 1 on each side, 1-2 at the top, coming from the middle of the areole, when present, 1 uppermost ± centrally from the lower part of the upper half of the areole; the lowest 3 mostly the shortest, ca. 4-7 mm long; the upper ca. 5-13 mm long; all spines bristle-like, piercing, ± curved towards the apex and/or diagonally to the sides, rarely extending outwards, thin (thickest at the base, only 0.2-0.3 mm thick), rarely somewhat tortuous, never paper or cardboard like; round in cross-section, occasionally slightly oval, rarely flattened at the base, often bulbose; all spines almost completely black or only top part black, lower section whitish - pale grey, young spines partly horn coloured; later becoming ± completely grey, easily removed from the Areole, often as whole bundle.

Flowers from the apex, wide funnel-shaped, ca. 10-16 mm long, ca. 13-22 mm wide. Cauline zone with numerous fine to ca. 5 mm long curled hairs. Pericarpel pale green, ellipsoidal-globose, ca. 3.5-4 mm long, ca. 3-3.5 mm thick, without scales. Receptacle ca. 4.5-5.5 mm long; above ca. 6-7.5 mm, below ca. 2 mm wide; with some (ca. 6-8) ± triangular, somewhat fleshy scales, ca. 1.5-5 mm long, 0.5-3 mm wide at the base, with small spiny tip, coloured greenish-cream with ± wide violet-reddish mid-stripe. Few (ca. 2-3) transitional perianth segments, as thin and long as the scales, ± same colour as the longest scales. Outer perianth segments thin, ca. 6-10 mm long, ca. 2-2.5 mm wide, ± linear, with long tips, rounded edges, occasionally split above; on the outside pale greenish-white, on the inside white-cream to very pale yellow, both side always with plain purple-reddish-brownish mid-stripe. Internal Perianth segments thin, always shorter and narrower than the outer perianth segments, ca. 5-9 mm long, ca. 1-1.5 mm wide, ± lanceolate-linear, with long tips, rounded edges, occasionally split above; white-cream-pale yellowish, without or with pale pink-purple-reddish narrow mid-stripe. Altogether ca. 30-38 internal and outer Perianth segments. Only a very small nectar furrow around the style base; Nectary covering the whole floor and a very short piece of the receptacle wall up to the base of the lowest filaments. Stamens altogether 120-140, ordered in several (ca. 6-8) spirals. At full Anthesis their dark yellow anthers curved towards the style. The lowest and medium filaments ca. 2.5-3.5 mm long, the uppermost often somewhat shorter, ca. 2.5-3 mm long. The anthers of the lower and medium stamens ca. 0.5-0.6 mm long, ca. 0.3-0.4 wide; those of the uppermost stamens often somewhat smaller, ca. 0.4-0.5 mm long, ca. 0.3 mm wide. All filaments glassy-white, cylindrical, tapering to the anther. A so-called "thin thread" between wide filament-area and anther slightly or hardly visible. All stamens exhibit seismeonastic movement. Style with only slightly spread out stigma ca. 8-9 mm long, standing above the uppermost anthers (ca. ca. 2-3 mm). Style ± pale pink, ca. 6.5-7 mm long, ca. 0.6-0.7 mm wide, thickened below the stigma. Stigma pale pink, with 4-5, ca. 1-2 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm thick, ± cylindrical, somewhat sharpened papillose lobes, which can occasionally be forked. Ovary chamber ca. 2.5-3 mm long, ca. 1.5-2 mm wide. Ovules parietal, mostly in groups to 3-5; Funicle unbranched, occasionally with some hair.

Fruit first of all greenish, with increasing maturity brownish, drying out; ca. 5-7 mm long, ca. 3.5-4 mm wide; with 40-75 seeds. Seeds: ± elongated cap shaped, shortened on on the dorsal side, on average 1.2-1,3 mm long, 0.8-0.9 mm wide, 1.1-1.2 mm thick; Testa dark brown-black, matt, with ± short well-rounded tubercles, which become flat at the seed base. Testa there not or only slightly curved. Hilum basal, mostly irregular ± wide oval to angular, sunken, covered by whitish tissue. Micropyle small, not lying in the hilum, separate ± on or at the edge, bent towards the edge of the hilum. Embryo ± oval; cotyledons not recognizable; Perisperm missing, only the so-called "empty Perisperm sac" exists.

Locality: Rayones, Nuevo León, México.

Related taxa

Turbinicarpus swobodae is part of the lophophoroides aggregate of taxa, together with the following:

References

KuaS, 38(4): 86-91, 1987

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