Devil's-Head Cactus, Blue barrel cactus (Echinocactus horizonthalonius Lemaire)
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Echinocactus horizonthalonius is a relatively small barrel cactus that normally grows unbranched. Stems: Pale, grey-green to bright glaucous grey-blue, flat-topped or hemispheric, and deep-seated in substrate, spherical with age or stoutly short cylindrical, stem slowly growing up to 30 cm tall, 15-20 cm in diameter or more. Theapical meristem is protected by whitish-yellow wool, which shades developing flower buds and fruits. Ribs: 5 to 13 ribs (mostly 8), vertical to helically curving around stem, rib crests broadly rounded, uninterrupted or slightly constricted between areoles. Areoles: Round, full of white wool when young. Spines: 5 to 10 (more frequently 8) per areole, loosely projecting or strongly decurved, pink, grey, tan, or brown, strongly annulate-ridged, subulate, ± flattened, glabrous, generally not hiding stem surface Radial spines:5(-8) per areole, similar to central spines; Central spines: 1(-3) per areole, 18-43 mm, longest spine usually descending, straight or decurved throughout its length. Flowers: Pinkish-red , 5 to 7 (9) cm in diameter; stigma lobes pinkish to olive. Blooming season: From the end of March to late May (occasionally on September). Fruit: Red or pink, oblong, fleshy or semi dry and ephemeral, containing black seeds, indehiscent or weakly dehiscent through basal abscission pore. Once fruits are open, the rough black seeds (2 mm in diameter) lie on the wool atop plants, with seeds rolling off between the ribs.