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Description: Clumping
cactus, irregularly forming
clusters up to 1 m across or
more.
Stems: 20 to 50 cm long, 7 cm in diameter,
cylindrical, narrow, eventually clumping near the base of the plant,
somewhat jointed, initially erect then procumbent sometimes trailing and
densely spiny.
Glaucous-green
then grey and corky in age but often reddish
if grown in full light,
Tubercles: Conical or slightly flattened laterally, woolly when
young.
Areoles: At first bearing grey wool then naked.
Radial spines: 10 to15, reddish brown, acicular up to 12 mm long.
Central spines: 4 reddish brown the upper three ascending,
spreading, 1-2 cm long, straight. The lowermost stronger, longer and
hooked 3 – 5 cm long.
Roots: Fibrous or
moderately thickened.
Flowers: Produced near the plants tip from axils of tubercles ,
long, scarlet, 3-4 cm long, 2 cm wide. zygomorphic with a long
hypanthium, segment flaring and tips reflexed, style as twice as
corolla, stamens exerted half as far as style, filaments and anthers
red.
Blooming season:
March - April.
Fruits: Red, obovoid or globose.
Seeds: 0,5 mm long, black minutely pitted.
Remarks: Cochemiea pondii has thinner and several
hooked spines per areole while Cochemiea maritima has
usually only one hooked spine per areole.
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