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Golden Spine Succulent

Succulent type: Stem succulent (Stores water in its stem)

This short cactus grows up to 3 feet (91.4 cm) tall. It splits randomly along the body to form 6 slender, pointed stems. Each stem is yellow, and is covered in thick sheets of rigid gold spines. The wedge-shaped body is moss green, and is dotted with small gold spines.

It is very fast growing, taking 3 months to reach maturity. Once mature, and only under the right conditions, a single flower with solid blood red petals decorated with caramel dots and a blue central disk grows at the top, reappearing after 6 years, but only when the conditions are right again. The flower head is shaped like a cube with 49 widely spaced, narrow petals. It has a delicate scent that smells like petrol.

The cactus's skin is extremely thick, the white flesh is rough, and the gentle orange sap is thin.

It comes in 13 varieties, each with a different petal colour.
It is suitable for creating flexible, durable textiles
Several parts of the shrub have medicinal properties.