Desert Triffid

This large caudiciform grows up to 20 feet (6.1 meters) tall. The spear shaped stem is cream and gray, and is dotted with small light grey spines. The straight, green trunk can grow to as much as 20 feet (6.1 meters) in diameter at the bottom. Its blue branches trail down to the ground and start growing halfway up the stem.

The large amounts of irregular-edged, long, narrow leaves are found in yellow and black varieties. They are delicate, and do not detach easily.

It is very slow growing, taking 12 years to reach maturity. Once mature, a handful of flowers, with petals that are beige in the center, dark grey in the middle and dark brown at the edges, grow at the top, reappearing once every 8 years. The flower head is shaped like a tube made up of 8 widely spaced, narrow petals. It has a powerful scent that smells like roses.

The caudiciform's skin is thick, the sky blue flesh is sticky, and the dark brown sap is thin.