Plants few to many branched. Stems usually erect, cylindric, 10-40 × 5-10 cm; ribs 8-13, slightly undulate; areoles 10-15 mm apart. Spines [8-]9-18 per areole, straight or contorted; radial spines 7-14 per areole, appressed, yellowish to brownish, becoming gray, 5-25 mm; central spines 1-4 (c Arizona and Mexico) or 3-8 (elsewhere) per areole, spreading to projecting outward, brownish yellow to reddish black, becoming gray, terete (c Arizona) or angled to terete (elsewhere), 15-50 mm. Flowers 5.5-7 × 3.5-5 cm; flower tube 25-35 mm; flower tube spines 5-15 mm, hairs to 2 mm; inner tepals bright orange-red to dark red distally, proximally paler (bases sometimes yellow or whitish), 25-40 × (5-)10-15 mm, tips thick and rigid; anthers pink to brick red or purple; nectar chamber 6-10 mm. Fruits green, brownish tinged, 20-30 mm, pulp white. 2n = 22.
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