Spiny green blanket (Maihuenia patagonica)
Description
Maihuenia patagonica forms cushions up to 40 centimeters high and 3 meters in diameter. The taproot is up to 40 inches long. The elongated shoots are not segmented and loosely arranged. They are up to 40 inches long and have a diameter of 1 to 2 inches. There are numerous button-like to cylindrical, spur-like short drives available. The numerous green leaves are conical, ovate or linear and in cross-section circular to elliptical. They are 2 to 6 millimeters long and 1.5 to 3 millimeters in diameter. The single, stiff middle spineis 3 to 7.5 inches long. The 2 marginal spines (rarely only one or missing) are sometimes inconspicuous, sometimes on the shoot surface and are 2 to 8 millimeters long.The white flowers usually appear terminal to short shoots. The elongated to almost spherical to club-shaped fruits are 2 to 4 inches long.The chromosome number is 2n = 22.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Caryophyllales
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Family: Cactaceae
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Genus: Maihuenia
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