FRUTICOSUM Moran, 1968

Distribution : Mexico (Jalisco); on rocks, ± 1050 – 1200 m.

Description (according to IHSP, 2003) :

Shrublets; stems papillose, basally branched, to 40 cm, 0,25 – 0,8 cm.

Rosettes lax, 3 – 7 cm in diameter, with 20 – 30 leaves scattered over 2,5 – 10 cm.

Leaves spatulate to rhombic-spatulate, elongate or rounded, weakly mucronate, 2 – 4 x 0,8 – 2 cm, 2,5 – 4 mm thick, pale green or reddish, somewhat glaucous.

Inflorescences 3 – 14 cm below the branch tips, 12 – 30 cm, glaucous-pruinose, thyrses with ± 12 – 50 flowers, axis somewhat zigzag, 5 – 14 cm, with 5 – 11 scorpioid branches with 0 – 3 secondary branches, pedicels 5 – 18 mm.

Flowers 5- (to 6-) merous, calyx cup-shaped, 3 – 5 x 3 – 6 mm sepals appressed, almost free, triangular to oblong, acute, somewhat unequal, 2 – 4,5 x 1 – 1,5 mm, corolla 16 – 21 mm in diameter, petals triangular-lanceolate, 7 – 9 x 2 - 3 mm, pale yellow or yellowish-white, tube campanulate, 3 – 3,5 x 3,5 – 5,5 mm, lobes acute with cardinal red stripes ± confluent toward the tip.

Cytology : n = 31