Stats

Lifespan: 20-50 yrs
Size: Tiny
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Desert
Range: North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Camouflage, Spines
Status: Sujeta A Protección Especial

About

This tiny, globular cactus grows in the rocky soil of arid desert regions. Its dense coat of white spines hides a bright red fruit that emerges from the center.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Epithelantha
Species: Epithelantha micromeris