Name and species circumscription
Austrocactus spiniflorus is the name accepted in Plants of the World Online, checked on 10 October 2026. In older publications, it appears as Opuntia spiniflora, Erdisia spiniflora and Corryocactus spiniflorus. The 2025 morphological and genomic revision retains it in Austrocactus, in the separate subgenus Spiniflori. [2-WWW] [Böhnert et al. 2025, taxonomic record and species description in the 2025 revision]
Tuberous root, rhizomes and smooth ribs
The plant branches and spreads near the ground surface. Above-ground stems are slender, cylindrical, up to 20 cm long and around 2 cm in diameter, green to dark red. Six to eight ribs remain smooth, without the tubercles typical of the other species in the genus. Round areoles have white felt and small, rapidly shed leaves. [Böhnert et al. 2025, p. 413]
There are 1–3 central spines, smooth, needle-like and pointing outwards. Young spines have a bright red base. Up to eight radial spines spread sideways. The underground part includes a strong tuberous root with a narrowed neck, up to 20 cm long, together with rhizomes and underground stems. This extensive growth structure was described as a particular feature of the species. [Böhnert et al. 2025, p. 391, 413–414]
Flowers from lower areoles and yellow fruits
Flowers arise from older, lower stem areoles. The bowl-shaped flower measures around 7 cm long and 7.5 cm in diameter. The spatulate tepals are whitish to yellowish, with red outer ones. The style is white, and the stigma has around ten pale yellow lobes. The green pericarpel has small reddish scales, little white wool and thin spines. [Böhnert et al. 2025, p. 391, 413–414]
The mature fruit is club-shaped, around 5 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter, yellow, with a small number of short spines. Its interior is highly mucilaginous. The black seeds are broadly curved, around 3 × 2 mm. In the revision's species description, the seed coat is described as dull. [Böhnert et al. 2025, p. 413–414]
The Andes of central Chile and a distinct lineage of the genus
The revision places the species in Chile's Región Metropolitana, in the Andes of Santiago and Cordillera Province. Documentation includes sites near Farellones, El Yeso and Lagunillas. The elevation range given in the discussion is around 1500–2300 m. This is field occurrence, without measurement of a temperature for safe overwintering in Poland. [Böhnert et al. 2025, p. 391–392, 414]
Genomic analyses confirmed that A. spiniflorus is the sister lineage to all remaining Austrocactus. Differences in roots, ribs and the location of flower formation justify separation of subgenus Spiniflori. Historical transfers between Opuntia, Erdisia and Corryocactus reflected the difficulty of classification from growth form alone. An extensive marker set confirms a closer relationship to the other Austrocactus. [Böhnert et al. 2025, p. 389, 391, 413]
Cultivation in an archival review
A review from Konrad Szychowski's private archive recommends a cool, dry rest at 0–5°C, sparing watering and ventilation for the group discussed. It considers propagation from offsets easier than sowing. The range of 0–5°C describes the recommended rest under cover. The material did not determine the species' frost-hardiness limit. [Sukulenty b.d.a, pp. 4–6]
Related articles
Materials from the author's archive
The species also appears in Konrad Szychowski's private material archive. [Romulski b.d., file p. 4] [Kaktusy i Inne 2005a, file p. 11]
Synonyms and names in the literature
Opuntia spiniflora · Erdisia spiniflora · Corryocactus spiniflorus · Cereus hypogaeus · Echinocereus hypogaeus · Eulychnia clavata [2-WWW]