About Stenocactus multicostatus (Hildm.) A.Berger
This cactus grows as a single individual with a spherical to somewhat cylindrical body, reaching up to 6 cm (2.4 inches) tall and 6 to 10 cm (2.4 to 3.9 inches) wide. It has no fewer than 120 very thin, sharp-edged, pressed, wavy ribs separated by narrow furrows, with roughly 100 thin ribs around its outer circumference. Each rib bears six to nine spines. Three white, papery, curved central spines grow from each areole; these spines are up to 3 centimeters long and have a square cross-section. The four marginal spines are glassy white, and are either upright or slightly curved. Some individual plants can have as many as 144 ribs, giving this species the highest phyllotaxis (55/144) of any cactus. The crown of the plant is covered by a thin, whitish wool. Upper spines are wider, measuring 4 to 8 cm (1.6 to 3.1 inches) long, while lower spines are shorter, at 5 to 15 mm (0.20 to 0.59 inches) long. The flowers range from white to purple, have a diameter of 2 to 5 cm (0.79 to 1.97 inches), and contain many stamens. The scales of the ovary are broadly ovoid, sharply pointed, very thin, more or less papery, and fall off early. This species has only been reported from shrublands located in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, and Tamaulipas. It has not yet been assessed with the IUCN Categories and Criteria because its taxonomy is still unclear.
