Golden Spine Caudex

This short caudiciform grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall. The very thick stem is brown, and is covered in hundreds of fine, gold, hair-like spines. The slanted, blood red trunk can grow to as much as 1 foot (30.5 cm) in diameter at the bottom. Its yellow branches are short stubs and start growing a quarter of the way up the stem.

The thick bunches of rounded-edged, broad, flat leaves are either orange or silver, with azure edges. They are frail, but do not detach easily.

It is very fast growing, taking 11 months to reach maturity. Once mature, and only under the right conditions, several flowers with brown petals and an amber central disk grow at the top, reappearing after 5 years, but only when the conditions are right again. The flower head is an uncoordinated mess of 18 curved petals. It has a weak scent that smells like skunk spray.

The caudiciform's skin is rock-hard, the sky blue flesh is smooth, and the olive sap is thin.