Is this slumping normal?

[tumamoc]

Most of these I have seen are cone shaped or cylindrical at the base, but this one is folded. Is that normal?

[Spikey1007]

Good question, peterb would probably answer this to the point i have observed that a few Echinocerus have this as does my Echinocereus pectinatus so i would of thought this is natural.

[iann]

Many or all cacti do this. Perhaps not some columnars? The lower areoles are continually collapsed down into a solid mass at the base of a cactus. This may happen slowly and imperceptibly or it may happen all at once during a long drought such as a northern winter and then the collapsed basal areoles just never plump up again. Many small globular plants continually grow new areoles, and flowers, at the apex but never get any bigger, now you know how

In some, essentially overwatered at least compared to habitat, plants the basal areoles are too plump to collapse properly and you get the double chin effect. Some species are more prone to it than others. You could try to keep the plant more continually watered so that it cannot collapse at all, or let it go a little so that the base collapses more easily.

[peterb]

Hi- That's a super healthy looking plant! Distinguished chin, too.

peterb