Forms massive, tightly packed domes. In the wild, ancient colonies can grow over 1 meter wide and consist of thousands of individual heads.
The "spines" are actually hardened, sterile flower stalks (peduncles) that transition from wine-purple to gray-white over time. Tiny, rudimentary green leaves form at the tips during the growing season but quickly drop off.
Produces small, stalkless yellow to deep wine-red cyathia (false flowers) clustered at the tips of the stems in spring and summer.
