Monday Macro: Gymnocalycium stenopleurum flowers

Oh my, I almost didn't get this done today, which would have been unfortunate. "Tuesday Macro" doesn't have quite the same ring to it, now does it?

Last fall, I posted about my Gymnocalycium stenopleurum, which had produced a large, lovely pink flower. Since then, I've learned that G. stenopleurum is a synonym for Gymnocalycium mihanovichii subsp. friedrichii, which is such a long name for such a petite plant. It also bloomed again this summer, but I missed getting a picture of the fully opened flower that time.

Gymnocalycium flower. Opening the photo to its full size highlights the sparkle of the petals.

Here's a reminder of what the whole plant looks like:

Gymnocalycium stenopleurum, aka Gymnocalycium mihanovichii subsp. friedrichii

The body of the plant is purplish, but has enough chlorophyll to survive on its own, unlike its relatives, the oft-seen grafted red and yellow Gymnocalycium mihanovichii varieties.