A cushion with soft spines
The plant forms hemispherical or slightly flattened cushions, usually up to about 30 cm wide and 15–20 cm tall, with fibrous roots. Stem segments are closely packed. Soft, flexible and often twisted spines are initially brown and later turn white. Young growth bears small leaves that dry at the end of the first growing season. [Hoxey et al. 2023a]
The valley and rainy season
The known site lies in the Río Yauca catchment in Ayacucho department, close to the Arequipa border. Plants occupy a narrow elevation band of 1700–1800 m. The authors visited the population in different seasons, observing severe dehydration during the dry period and vigorous growth after rain. After heavy rainfall in 2020, they also found numerous small seedlings. [Hoxey et al. 2023a]
Floral material, fruits and seeds
During expeditions in 2018, 2020 and 2022, researchers found dried flower remains. The description of reproductive elements therefore relies on this material. A local informant's account of colour is separate evidence. Mature fruits contain pale seeds in a dry chamber, consistent with the structural type characteristic of the genus. [Hoxey et al. 2023a]
Morphological relationships
The protologue compares the new species with C. leucophaea, C. zehnderi and plants described as C. multiareolata (now a synonym of C. sphaerica). These comparison populations occur within about a 60 km radius. The combination of compact habit, fibrous roots and soft armature formed the basis for distinguishing the new species. [Hoxey et al. 2023a] [2-WWW]
Synonyms and names in the literature
Sphaeropuntia mollispina · Sphaeropuntia sphaerica f. mollispina [2-WWW]