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Description: T.
hexaedrophorus is a solitary and quite variable cactus with
flattened stems. Many local forms are
known, often formally described, that differ in stem, spine or flower
morphology. Because of the large variability of the species in the whole
distribution area, none of these are recognised today.
Stem: Depressed or globose,
bluish , olive-green, or greyish-green eventually
tinged in pink or purple, 3-7.5 cm tall , 8-15(-20)
in diameter
(eventually grows a little taller in
cultivation)
Ribs: 8-13 indistinct, but
generally evident in adult plants.
Tubercles: Fat,
polygonal-rounded (hexagonal or pentagonal based), sometime
compressed at the tip, 8-20 mm long, 13-26 mm large..
Areoles: 4-13 mm long, elongated into a short groove, without glands.
Spines: Usually strong and variable
in length depending on the clone often difficult to distinguish as
centrals and radials.
Central spines: Almost always
absent or sometime one, 15-25 mm long, ochre, pinkish-grey,
reddish, purplish, brow to whitish acicular to subulate.
Radial spines: 4-8, 5-60 mm long, erect to spreading, pure white,
ochre, reddish to brown, straight or curved, acicular to subulate.
Flowers: Silvery-white or rarely
pinkish with more or less magenta midribs, up to 10 in diameter.
Pericarpel covered with scales.
Fruit: Green magenta, 7-11 mm
becoming dry at maturity.
The variety "lloydii"
from Zacatecas has a pink flower and eight robust radial spines,
Due to the species variability but it seems not justified to recognise
this subspecies, as it has already been done with the other varieties
described.
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Cultivation: Easy to cultivate but very slow
growing. Water regularly from Spring to Autumn, but do not overwater
(root prone) needs good drainage and very porous potting mix, In Winter,
keep dry. Frost Tolerance: Hardy
to -7°C.
Sun Exposure: Full sun to light shade
Reproduction: From seed, since the plant
rarely produces plantlets.
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