Golden Barrel

You generally see the golden barrels about 6" across. It takes them quite some time to get about knee-high, but then they start to flower.

Here's a look at the growth center. Flowers come up in a spiral around the center, though I don't think I've ever seen a complete ring of flowers on one of these.

And the close up shot. Really a nice flower that is often lost amidst all the yellow/gold of the spines.