Erect shrub 1–3 m high, often with trunk to 1 m high and 10 cm diam. Terminal cladodes cylindric, 6–70 cm long, 1.5–5 cm diam., glabrous, greyish-green to darkish green, with slightly raised, rounded, rhomboidal to hexagonal tubercles; areoles somewhat depressed, 10–23 mm apart, filled with white wool; spines 1–6 per areole, spreading to deflexed, 1–2 cm long, 0.6–0.8 mm wide near base, straight, pale yellow, ageing brown or grey; glochids pale, very small and inconspicuous. Flowers subterminal, 2–3.5 cm diam.; perianth lobes firm, erect; sepaloids red; petaloids dull red; staminal filaments reddish above, white below, anthers pale yellow; style white, stigma green; hypanthium tuberculate. Fruit barrel-shaped, with deep apical depression when young, 3–7 cm long, 2–4 cm diam., tuberculate, spinose (spines deciduous), yellowish-green to orange when ripe, often persisting, sometimes proliferating. Flowers late spring–summer.
Wim, VVP, GipP, OtP, Gold, CVU. WA, SA, NSW. Native to the central highlands of Ecuador and Peru (Anderson 2001). Naturalised at Bulla, Geelong, Bacchus Marsh, Lake Lonsdale near Stawell, Lake Wyn Wyn near Natimuk and near Rushworth.
