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An young plant.
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Description: T. alonsoi is a small
geophytic solitary cactus with a large tap-root, and only the
apical part of the stem exposed at soil level.
Stem: Flattened, spherical, mostly underground, 6-7 (-9) cm in
diameter, up to 11 cm long.
Ribs: Arranged in tubercles, these are 15 mm long and 13 mm wide
at the base, slightly angular, upper side keeled, however concave at
the base, clearly keeled on the underside, arranged in spirals,
opposite contact
parastichy with a number relationship of 5:8 or 8:13, from
grey-green to glaucous in colour.
Areoles: At first with reddish brown wool, later becoming
grey.
Spines 3-5, up to 20 mm long, flattened, cardboard-like, grey with
dark tip, irregularly bent inwards, frequently weathered, not
piercing.
Flowers: Cherry red to pink-magenta, with more
intensely coloured mid-stripe 20-30 mm in diameter, 25-35 mm long,
standing above the tubercles by about 10 mm, with approximately 22 inner (teptals),
scale like perianth segments, more intensely red with pale edge. Pistil
15 mm long, white, standing above the stamens by around 2-4 mm, with 6
white, 1.5-2 (-2.5) mm-long stigma lobes.
Blooming season: From March to October, mainly between April and
June
Fruit: 10 mm long, 5 mm in diameter, smooth, reddish-dark
purple, brighter at the base, opening with 1-2 longitudinal tears.
Seeds: 1 mm long, 0.75 mm high. |
Cultivation and Mail Sale 
