Flower fragrant, to 4 inches (10.5 cm) across. Inner petals obovate, bicolored dark pastel reddish or reddish-purple and striated orangish with deep red midrib. Outer petals and sepals projecting beyond inners, outers mainly pale red, sepals grayish. Throat-circle pale. Filaments light red. Stigma white. Stem globular, to 4¼ inches (11 cm) in diameter; all spines minute. The stem is unusual in that it turns brownish. Unfortunately, it tends to split late in the season if watered and fertilized too heavily. In the words of Gilbert and Sullivan from Pirates of Penzance, “How quaint the ways of paradox! At common sense she gaily mocks”. ISI 99-17; HBG 82629, Schick 1651-33.
