Encephalocarpus strobiliformis

Encephalocarpus strobiliformis
Date: 2002 May 12

Often placed in the genus Pelecyphora, Encephalocarpus strobiliformis is a most distinctive tiny cactus. The arrangement of the tubercles resembles a pine-cone, which is what is meant by the specific name 'strobiliformis'.

This specimen in my collection was grown from seed sown in 1985. As you can see from the floral remains, it has flowered every year for some time now, but still has a diameter of only 5cm, which is actually quite large for this species.