Stats

Lifespan

10-20+ yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Desert

Range

South America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Spines

Status

Endangered

About

This succulent grows in tangled, sprawling mounds across rocky mountain slopes. Its stems are covered in thousands of tiny, golden spines that trap morning dew for hydration.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Caryophyllales

Family

Cactaceae

Genus

Cleistocactus

Species

Cleistocactus winteri