Origin and Habitat: Cultivated form

• Tephrocactus articulatus var. diadematus f. inermis hort.
• Tephrocactus diadematus f. inermis hort.

• Tephrocactus articulatus (Pfeiff.) Backeb.
• Cereus articulatus Pfeiff.
• Opuntia articulata (Pfeiff.) D.R.Hunt
• Opuntia glomerata Britton & Rose non Haw.
• Tephrocactus andicolus (Pfeiff.) Lem.
• Opuntia andicola Hort.Angl. ex Pfeiff.
• Tephrocactus neoglomeratus var. andicolus (Pfeiff.) Y.Itô
• Tephrocactus articulatus var. calvus (Lem.) Backeb.
• Opuntia calva Lem.
• Opuntia diademata var. calva F.A.C.Weber ex K.Schum.
• Opuntia diademata f. calva (Lem.) Schelle
• Opuntia glomerata var. calva (Lem.) G.D.Rowley
• Opuntia turpinii var. polymorpha Salm-Dyck
• Tephrocactus calvus (Lem.) Lem.
• Tephrocactus diadematus var. calvus (Lem.) Backeb.
• Tephrocactus articulatus var. diadematus (Lem.) Backeb.
• Opuntia diademata Lem.
• Tephrocactus diadematus (Lem.) Lem.
• Tephrocactus articulatus var. diadematus f. inermis hort.
• Tephrocactus diadematus f. inermis hort.
• Tephrocactus articulatus var. inermis (Speg.) Backeb.
• Opuntia diademata var. inermis Speg.
• Opuntia glomerata var. inermis (Speg.) G.D.Rowley
• Tephrocactus articulatus var. oligacanthus (Speg.) Backeb.
• Opuntia diademata var. oligacantha Speg.
• Opuntia glomerata var. oligacantha (Speg.) G.D.Rowley
• Tephrocactus articulatus var. ovatus (Pfeiff.) Backeb.
• Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus (tubercled type) hort.
• Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus (Phil.) Backeb.
• Opuntia glomerata f. papyracantha (Phil.) A.Cast.
• Opuntia papyracantha Phil.
• Tephrocactus papyracanthus hort.
• Tephrocactus articulatus var. polyacanthus (Speg.) Backeb.
• Opuntia diademata var. polyacantha Speg.
• Opuntia glomerata var. polycantha (Speg.) G.D.Rowley
• Tephrocactus articulatus var. strobiliformis (A.Berger)
• Opuntia strobiliformis A.Berger
• Tephrocactus strobiliformis (A.Berger) Backeb. in Backeb. & F.M.Knuth
• Tephrocactus articulatus var. syringacanthus (Pfeiff.) Backeb.
• Cereus syringacanthus Pfeiff.
• Opuntia syringacantha (Pfeiff.) K.Schum.
• Tephrocactus articulatus f. syringacanthus (Pfeiff.) F.Ritter
• Tephrocactus turpinii (Lem.) Lem.
• Opuntia turpinii Lem.

Description: Tephrocactus articulatusSN|7330]]SN|7330]] var. diadematus, generally included within (as a synonym of)(Tephrocactus articulatusSN|7330]]SN|7330]]), is a succulent upright shrublet, up to 60 cm tall, 1.2 m spread. The 'inermis' form of this species is a nearly spineless form with no spines and without (or with very few) glochids on the new growth. These usually fall off as it ages.
Stem: It produces dull greyish-blue, greyish-brown to earth-tone coloured pine-cone-like globular to elongated stem segments 2 to 20 cm long, the segment are hardly tuberculate (except in drying) and generally grow longer and narrower than the standard Tephrocactus articulatusSN|7330]]SN|7330]]. The segments usually grow one or two new segments each year from the stem tips.
Areoles: Large
Spines: The typical Tephrocactus articulatusSN|7330]]SN|7330]] var. diadematus has flattened papery spines 2 to 5(-10) cm long and numerous reddish-brown glochids, both absent in the forma 'inermis' ( but a few caduceus glochids are sometime present in the youngest areoles)
Flowers: Yellowish-white fading to pink.
Blooming season: Spring.
Fruit: Globose, 1 to 1,5 cm long, dry.
Seed: Corky.

Cultivation and Propagation: This is one of the easiest and safest cactus to grown. It is very heat tolerant and doesn't need shade in summer. It is easy to grow but usually couldn’t get very tall as segment kept falling apart. It is fairly cold resistant and hardy to -9°C depending on the clone, Need full sun, (with insufficient illumination stems get thinner as a result of the lack of sun) The main growing period is spring. It might produce some new segments in the autumn too. Needs good drainage. With plenty of water in summer grows a lot faster... Keep dry in winter but tolerates long, wet, sloggy, cold winters.
Propagation: Cuttings it suckers profusely and is very easy to grow by just knocking off one of the 'cones' and stuffing it in the ground.