Melocactus azureus v. ferreophilus Cactus The caudex is brown and

The caudex is brown and mostly smooth when young but in time becomes cracked and fissured

Plant has 5 growing points

Produces big yellow flowers with a purple stigma

Echidnopsis nubica  An uncommonly seen species from Sudan which has the tiniest flowers of all Stapeliads

The flowers are just a few millimeters wide but it flowers regularly during the warmer months unlike a lot of the showier Stapeliads that bloom once a year or so

Melocactus azureus v. ferreophilus Cactus The caudex is brown andMelocactus azureus var. ferreophilus This is a nice cephallium forming species with green to blue green skin. It looks and grows like normal cactus several years but once it gets big enough the main plant stops growing but produces a large hairy inflorescence that continues to grow for the rest of the life of the plant. Eventually the inflorescence can be taller than the plant itself. This is more tropical than most succulents so it doesn't like cold