Common Names include: ENGLISH:Paper Spine Cactus, Paper Spine Cholla Cactus.
Description:Segmented bushy succulent slowly growing up to up to 30 cm, it is the typical form of a group of variety. Stems:It develops in little pine-cone shaped segments that are loosely attached to each other and fall easily. Spines:This species is very variable as to whether it is spine-bearing or not. The spiny form (also known as"papyracanthus") have broad, raffia like, conspicuous , flattened spines which are not spines but thin ribbon like processes, and vary much as to their colour, markings, and length. This variation are partly the cause of so many synonyms for the species. Flowers:Blooms are either white or yellow. The white flowers made a nice contrast to the earth-tone colours of the plant. Fruit:1 to 5 cm long fruit is brown.
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Tephrocactus articulatus group
Tephrocactus articulatus(Pfeiff.) Backeb.: Small branching shrublet. Segments, fragile, subglobose to short cylindrical, sometimes like a string of beads. Spines 1-4, or absent, flattened, flexible, up to 10 cm long and 4 mm wide or more.
Tephrocactus articulatus var. diadematus f. inermishort.: Cool looking pine-cone-like plant without spines and irritating glochids. The segment generally grow longer and narrower than the standardTephrocactus articulatus.
Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus(Phil.) Backeb.: has broad, raffia like, conspicuous, flattened spines which are not spines but thin ribbon like processes, and vary much as to their colour, markings, and length.
