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Description:
Coriphantha poselgeriana is a heavily spined, imposing species,
and reminds one of an Echinocactus. The nomenclature of this variable
taxon is quite confusing.
Stem: Globular to short cylindrical, solitary or slowly clumping,
reaching up to 30 cm in height and 18 cm in width. Dull bluish green,
apex rounded and woolly.
Root: Thin taproot.
Tubercles: Up to 2(-3) cm long and 5 cm wide, convex, conical, 4-6
edged with a deep wooly groove, near the areole, rounded near the end.
Parastichy number 8-13. With yellow-orange glands over the whole length.
Axil woolly with glands.
Areoles: About 7 mm wide, round with short wool.
Radial spines: 5 to 12, with 7-8 of them radiating sideways and
downwards, straight or recurved, strong, subulate, the 3-4 lower ones
are somewhat fattened, up to 30-40 mm long.
Whitish, later reddish
or
blackish, with
a
darker tip and ultimately greysh.
Central spine: 1, straight, porrect, with light tip.
Similar in shape and colour to lower radials.
Flowers: 6-7 cm, varying from whitish-rose with a pink centre,
to carmine red, and in San Luis Potosí even yellow-flowering forms
occur.
Fruit: Green, juicy, with persisting flower remnants. 25-50mm
long, 7-18 in diameter.
Seed: Reniform 2-2,5 mm long, 1,5 mm wide.
Notes: These
clinal species have two forms, often referred
to as distinct varieties or
subspecies. The forms
from North of the Sierra de Paila are more strongly
spined (var. valida) than the ones to the
South, which have
more radials (var. saltillensis). But the transition is
continuous, and separation of a subspecies is questionable.
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