Tephrocactus articulatus is a species of cactus in the subfamily Opuntioideae of the plant family Cactaceae, endemic to northern Argentina.
It is a small shrubby cactus growing 40 cm tall with white flowers. The branches are typically made up of around eight segments, each segment 3âÂÂ15 cm long and 3âÂÂ4 cm broad. Its most notable feature are its spines which, if present, are flat and resemble parchment. The flowers open at end-of-evening nautical twilight, and close shortly after sunrise.
The species, as with the rest of the genus Tephrocactus, was formerly often included in a wide view of Opuntia. The species is variable, and two varieties are sometimes accepted based on the number of spines, though intermediates occur, and they are not considered distinct by the Plants of the World Online database:
Propagation is usually through cuttings. Stem segments break away easily and will root readily without special treatment. It also grows from seeds.