Description of Turbinicarpus valdezianus

Photo © Mark Faint

Body in young plants spherical with turnip-like thickened root, then cylindrical with a narrower base. Apex somewhat sunken, bare. The plants are about 3-5 cm high and 1-2 cm in diameter: most plants are solitary, rarely form three- to five-headed small mats. Tubercles light green organised in 8 and 13 spirals; hatchet-shaped in cross-section. Spines ca. 25-30, about 0.5 mm long, pure white, very finely feathery, because of which they intertwine. Axil bare.

Flowers to several, from the apex. Ovaries bare, 3-4 mm large, dark bluish-red. Receptacle funnel-shaped, 2-2.5 cm in diameter. Outer perianth segments dark brownish-red, short lanceolate, with whitish edge. Petals pink-white, elongated with sharp tip, with purple mid-line. Stamens white with chromium-yellow anther. Style, towering over the stamens, dark purple, with mostly five yellow stigma lobes, purple at the base. Fruit looks exactly like a blueberry. When ripe the dried up, leather-like berry contains numerous dark brown, punctulate, kidney-shaped seeds.

Locality: Coahuila, México.

Notes

In all the plants I have seen the apex is not "bare", but completely covered by the plumose spination. Early bloomer.

References

• Rod Turbinicarpus by M. Zachar, R. Staník, A. Lux, I. Dráb

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