Golden Spike

This short cactus grows up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall. The needle-like stem is green, and is covered in thick sheets of fine, gold, hair-like spines. The spherical body is moss green, and is covered in sharp spines.

It is very slow growing, taking 19 years to reach maturity. Once mature, and only under the right conditions, a handful of flowers, with olive petals and a yellow center, grow at the top, reappearing after 9 years, but only when the conditions are right again. The flower head is an uncoordinated mess of up to 20 curved petals. It has an intensely strong scent that smells like fresh linen.

The cactus's skin is nearly impenetrable, the orange flesh is slimy, and the aquamarine sap is thin.