Purple Spine Cactus

This short cactus grows up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall. The very thin stem is purple, and is covered in sharp spines.

It is slow growing, taking 45 years to reach maturity. Once mature, and only under the right conditions, a handful of flowers, with petals that are azure on the edges and dark brown at the center, grow at the top, reappearing after 3 years, but only when the conditions are right again. The flower head is an uncoordinated mess of 34 curved petals. It has a powerful scent that smells like skunk spray.

The cactus's skin is thick, the brown flesh is rubbery, and the white sap is thin.