Plants unbranched. Stems subglo-bose to globose, 3-7.5 × 2.5-5.5(-8) cm; areoles circular to oval, villous. Spines smooth, thin and flexible, sometimes distinguishable as radial and central; radial spines 13-22 per areole, straight or curving irregularly, white, 20-25 × 0.2-0.3 mm; central spines 3-6 per areole, dense in mature plants, white to pale gray, straight, flexible, hairlike, 8-35 × 0.3 mm. Flowers 1.5-2.2 × 1.9-2.5 cm; scales and outer tepals minutely toothed or denticulate or entire and undulate; outer tepals brown midstripes with pale or white margins, oblanceolate, 8-20 × 3-6 mm; inner tepals light yellow to pink, oblanceolate, 15-20 × 4-6 mm. Fruits greenish yellow maturing to reddish brown, cylindric, 7-10 × 5-8 mm. Seeds black, 2.5 × 2 mm, papillate but not rugose.
Flowering spring. Gravelly limestone soils of pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pine, and grama grass communities; of conservation concern; 1500-2100 m; Ariz.
Pediocactus paradinei is endemic to the Kaibab Plateau region of northern Arizona.
Plant: STEMS solitary, subglobose to globose, 3-7.5 cm tall, 2.5-3.8 cm in diameter, the stem apex at to 5 cm above soil surface; tubercles truncate-conical, up to 5 mm long, 3-5 mm in diameter; areoles circular in diameter
Leaves: SPINES dense in mature plants and sparse in young plants; central spines 3-6 but not clearly distinguishable from the radials, 0.8-2.8 cm long, white to pale gray, hair-like; radial spines 13-22, 2-5 mm long, white, straight or curving irregularly
Flowers: up to 2.2 cm long, 1.9-2.5 cm wide; outer tepals straw-yellow to pink with brown midribs; inner tepals light yellow to pink, oblanceolate; stigma lobes yellow
Fruit: FRUITS greenish-yellow maturing to reddish-brown, 7-10 mm long, 4.5-8 mm wide, smooth except for subapical scales, cylindrical, dehiscing by a vertical slit. SEEDS black, papillate but not rugose, obliquely pyriform, 2.5 mm long, 2 mm wide
Misc: Pinyon-juniper woodland, often with scattered ponderosa pine, and desert grasslands; 1500-2150 m (5000-7000 ft); May
REFERENCES: Heil, Kenneth D., and Mark J. Porter. 2001. Cactaceae. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. Volume 33(1)
