Grusonia kunzei

Illustrator: John Myers

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Shrubs, forming mats, to 50 cm, in series of usually 2–4 stem segments. Roots diffuse. Stem segments curved and narrowed at base, 10–15 × 2.5–4 cm; tubercles prominent, 20–30 mm, narrow, 4–6 times longer than wide, obscured by interlacing spines; areoles 5–6 mm in diam.; wool gray-white. Spines 17–27 per areole, ± uniformly distributed along stems; major 4–6 abaxial spines deflexed, tan with whitish margins, strongly flattened, longest to 4.5 cm; major 4–5 adaxial spines divergent, tan to reddish tan, angled at base, longest subterete, to 5 cm. Glochids few in adaxial portion of areole, yellow, 5–6 mm. Flowers: inner tepals yellow to pale yellow-green, to 15–20 mm; filaments white; style light green to white; stigma lobes white. Fruits sometimes proliferating, lemon yellow to yellow, 40–75 × 15–40 mm, fleshy, very spiny, glochidiate; spines (4–)6–17 per areole, straw yellow to brown, 12–20 mm, retrorsely barbed; areoles (40–)45–70. Seeds yellowish white, 4–5 ×3.5–4.5 mm, smooth. 2n = 44.

Phenology: Flowering spring (Apr–Jun).
Habitat: Sonoran Desert, silty, sandy, or gravelly flats and hills
Elevation: 200-600 m

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Ariz., Mexico (Baja California, Sonora).

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.