Morphology of Astrophytum coahuilense

Body: solitary, in youth spherical with sharp ribs, at the age columnar or rounded barrel form up to 65 cm height, 20 to 25 cm in diameter, rounded ribs.

Epidermis: so densely covered with felt-like flakes that the dark green epidermis is barely visible, never nude.

Ribs: very conservative five, only in old age rib inserts are possible. Frequently wavy rib-surface.

Areoles: about 4 mm in diameter, with reddish-brown short woolly hair in the youth which will later change to gray. In young plants up to 2 cm apart, in age confluent.

Spines: only as seedling.

Flowers: size (min. 50) -68 - (max. 90) mm, yellow with deep-red to orange-red receptacle like Astrophytum capricorne, very rarely clear yellow. The nectar chamber is protected by woolly hair.

Fruit: maturity time after pollination about 26 days, red to olive, opening at the bottom like Astrophytum capricorne.

Seeds: 125 (max. 208) per fruit, hat-shaped, dark brown.

Mimikry: Limestone (flakes).

Astrophytum coahuilense
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