Astrophytum asterias nudum

This form has a very characteristic glabrous stem lacking the white tufts of loose hairy scales typical of the common Astrophytum asterias. The smooth green epidermis show up the felty areoles. The plants during cold and dry winter rest often take a nice red coloring. Common Name: Sand Dollar Cactus, Sea Urchin Cactus, Star Cactus, Star Peyote Habit: It is a solitary (unless damaged) perennial stem succulent growing deep seated just flat to the ground surface. Only in cultivation plants may have a spherical till columnar shape.Roots: The underground body is fleshy, turnip-like, with fine diffuse roots.Stem: Non-branched, much depressed, disc-shaped to low dome-shaped, grey-green to dull green (unless stressed), mature plants 2-7 cm tall, 5-16 cm broad, dotted with numerous minuscule tufts of bright white wool (hairy scales). These hairy scales are usually loose, sprinkled over the stem in irregular patterns, sometimes arched around the areoles or on line. Cultivated plants possess some