About Coryphantha delicata L.Bremer
Coryphantha delicata is a small cactus species that is endemic to northeastern Mexico. While individual plants can grow solitary, the species can also form populations made up of hundreds of individual plants. Its stems range from spherical to hemispherical, reaching a maximum height of approximately 5 cm (2.0 in) and a maximum diameter of approximately 6 cm (2.4 in). The plant body is dark green, and its apex may be covered in white wool. As is typical for species in the genus Coryphantha, the plant body surface is split into conical tubercles with rounded tips. These tubercles are arranged in 8 to 13 spiraling rows, and have an appearance similar to the closely packed bases of green chili peppers. Each tubercle has an areole, a small spot from which a cluster of slender, stiff spines grows. Each tubercle also has a groove that extends nearly to its base — this feature distinguishes Coryphantha species from the similar genus Mammillaria, whose tubercles do not have this type of groove. When the plant is actively growing, the depressions between tubercles may be filled with white wool, but older plants often lack this wool entirely. Young areoles at the tips of tubercles are very woolly, but become nearly bare as the areole ages. A single thick, conical central spine may be present in each spine cluster, though it is often absent. When the central spine is present, it starts out brown to nearly black and fades to gray over time. It curves in a hook-like shape and grows up to 1.2 cm (0.5 in) long. If a central spine is present, 17 to 22 radial spines grow around it. These radial spines are white to yellowish with darker tips, and are slightly longer than the central spine. The flowers of Coryphantha delicata are yellow, growing up to 4 cm (1.6 in) long and reaching up to 6 cm (2.4 in) across when open. Its fruits are juicy and green, with a maximum length of 3 cm (1.2 in) and maximum diameter of 1.2 cm (0.5 in). Coryphantha delicata grows in semiarid scrublands and grasslands. Research-grade observations hosted on the iNaturalist website have recorded this species from the northeastern Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León, Durango, Zacatecas and Guanajuato. In its native habitat, this cactus flowers from July to September, and produces fruits from August to October.
