Stenocactus multicostatus Echinofossulocactus multicostatus Brain cactus live plant

Stenocactus Description: Stenocactus multicostatus more often known as Echinofossulocactus multicostatus is a low-growing cactus with a lot of narrow, very acute and straight or wavy ribs, densely pleated together giving a wrinkled look to its near globular shape, with short 6 to 18 soft flattened brownish spines, arranged crosswise, but there is a great variation among plants of different origin both in spination, body shape and number of ribs. Since the various forms are connected by intermediates it is extremely difficult to recognize infraspecific taxa.
Stenocactus Habit: It is simple, but sometimes forms two or more stems.
Stem: 6-15 cm wide and up to 6-12 cm tall, depressed spherical, spherical to short-cylindrical usually many-ribbed, grey-green to deep green with a flat tops .
Ribs: Many as the name implies, typically 50 to 100 (but occasionally up to 150 or more) very tight, thin, acute, wavy, very broad at the areoles.
Areoles: There are only 2 or 3 (-4) areoles in each rib, witch are covered with white felt in young plants
Radial spines: 4-6 to 9 of different lengths.
Central spines: (2-)4, upper one flattened and wide, creamy white to copper-brown, up to 5 cm long, 3-4 mm wide, lateral 2 even wider, angular, spreading, while the lower ones are shorter and point downwards.
Flowers: From the plant crown, about 2,5 cm, wide, with a short tube, white, pinkish purple or violet (or rarely yellowish) with a darker violet to purple midvein in early spring.
Blooming season: Spring and summer.