Gymnocalycium marquezii variegata (G. pflanzi)
This beauty has a green body variegated in yellow-cream and pink, it has also fairly heavy spines bent backward in a distinctive fashion.
Description: Solitary or slowly clustering, with peculiar spine clusters characteristically bent backward in a distinctive fashion.
Stem: Flattened-globose,10-15 (25)cm in diameter, 10cm tall pale green, to olive green that can tinge of orangish purple in full sun. The epidermis has a velvety appearance. The apex is slightly depressed and woolly.
Ribs: 10 to 12 thick, large, divided into polygonal rounded (not chinned) tubercles, separated by arched furrows.
Roots: Fibrous
Areoles: Large long, oval 10x14 mm, with cream-yellowish wool, then blackish dismantling with time.
Spines: Strong, very stiff, bent backward, initially blackish with a brown base then becoming grey-pinkish to whitish brown with black point.
Radial spines: (5-)7-9 up to 25 mm long
Central spines: One (or two) of the same length.
Flowers: Infundibuliform near the apex, diameter and height 45-50mm. Pericarpell dull green very short. External tepals spatulate, slightly bent outward , white with brownish green midrib. Inner tepals intern narrower, spatulate and slightly denticulate, white with carmine/pink purplish throat. Style carmine with carmine pink 10-12 lobes. Pollen yellow.
Fruit: Globose of approximately 2 cm of diameter, becoming red carmine with maturity. Pulp intense cherry-red.
Seeds: Microsemineum type, section pirisemineum, very small (0.6 X 0.4mm), testa reddish shining and smooth.
Remarks: G. marquezii is very similar in structure to G. pfanzii var. riograndense but has shark mat type skin, dark coppery red stem and dark spines