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Blood Red Succulent

Succulent type: Caudiciform (Stores water in the thickened base of its stem)

This short caudiciform grows up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall. The pleated stem is gray, and is covered in lots of rigid blood red spines. It has a curved, bulbous, lime trunk atop a stumpy web of wrinkled, exposed roots. The branches are wide and yellow and light brown and trail down to the ground.

The ripped-edged, very narrow and elongated leaves are solid vibrant red or violet, with beige zig-zags. They are flimsy, and are very difficult to pull away.

It is very slow growing, taking 19 years to reach maturity. Once mature, several flowers with red petals and a yellow center grow at the top, reappearing every year. The flower head is shaped like a sphere made up of 12 tightly layered, round-tipped petals. It has an overpowering scent that smells like new books.

The caudiciform's skin is thin, the blue flesh is rough, and the caramel sap is thin.

It is suitable for making baskets and the like
The colour changes depends on whether the soil is acidic or alkaline.