All the information and photos in cactus art files are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.

 Spineless form with grey-green pine-cone shaped segments  that turns pink in bright light. ( compare with the spiny type)
 

Description: Segmented succulent slowly growing up to up to 30 cm
Segment:  Small pine-cone shaped that are loosely attached to each other and fall easily. 
Flowers: White, 5cm long.
Fruit: Brown.

The white flowers made a nice contrast to the earth-tone colours of the plant.

Propagation: Cuttings, it suckers profusely and is very easy to grow by just knocking off one of the 'cones' and stuffing it in the ground.

Note: The little glochids at the areoles are quite a nuisance, and it is best to use gloves to handle this plant.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars ofTephrocactus articulatus.

• T. articulatus var. papyracanthus
• T. articulatus var. strobiliformis
• T. diadematus "inermis" (T. articulatus diadematus inermis)

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• Cereus articulatus Pfeiff. 1837
• Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus (Phil.) Backeb.
• Opuntia articulata (Pfeiff.) D.R.Hunt 1987
• Opuntia andicola Pfeiff. 1837
• Tephrocactus andicolus (Pfeiff.) Lem. 1868
• Opuntia diademata Lem. 1838
• Tephrocactus diadematus (Lem.) Lem. 1868
• Opuntia turpinii Lem. 1838
• Tephrocactus turpinii (Lem.) Lem. 1868
• Opuntia papyracantha hort. ex K.Schum. 1898
• Opuntia glomerata Britton & Rose 1919
• Opuntia strobiliformis A.Berger 1929
• Tephrocactus strobiliformis (A.Berger) Fric 1933

Vernacular name:  Pine Cone Cactus
 

Photo and © copyright by Mladen Turcinovic (Croatia)

Cultivation: It is easy to grow but usually couldn’t get very tall as segment kept falling apart. It is fairly cold resistant and hardy to -9°C depending on the clone, Need full sun, (with insufficient illumination stems get thinner as a result of the lack of sun) The main growing period is spring. It might produce some new segments in the autumn too. Needs good drainage. Propagation is through segment cuttings, or occasionally seeds.

All the information and photos in cactus art files are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.