Can arioles regenerate?

[loyall]

I have encountered a mystery. I purchased a notocactus possibly of the concinnus group at a big box store that had googly eyes glued to the spines on two of its arioles. I hated the disfigurement, but after removing the ghastly decorations the specimen was very attractive and presentable. Unfortunately removal of the googly eyes caused the two arioles to be entirely ripped off the stem, spines and all. The stem was scarcely damaged and the missing arioles were not very apparent unless one was looking for them. Now comes the mystery. Today I picked up this plant from which I removed the two arioles five months ago, and I can find no missing areoles. I carefully scanned the ribs of this cactus 360 degrees several times over, and I can find no missing areoles! Is it possible that the missing areoles regrew their spines? I was not aware that spines could regenerate, or must supernatural forces be at work.

[DaveW]

On some occasions new or additional spines can develop on older areoles lower down the plant. I suppose it depends what you consider the areole, is it the spine cluster and wool that can often be brushed off, or the part of the tubercle or rib it springs from behind it?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areole

"In cactus literature, the region in a long-shoot leaf axil is called an ‘areole’, not simply an axillary bud. This term is useful because the bud's spines persist even if the axillary bud SAM goes on to produce a flower and fruit. Flowering in most angiosperms causes bud scale abscission, so after the fruit is shed, the region is little more than a set of scars, but in cacti the entire set of spines is still present. Furthermore, some cacti produce spines for a prolonged period, longer than most axillary buds produce bud scales, so these growing structures are more appropriately considered short-shoots rather than merely buds. ‘Areole’ refers to the region at all stages of its development."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2803597/

[greenknight]

I have seen lost spines replaced. Possibly the visible part of the areole could be pulled off without removing all of the areole tissue and it could regrow the lost part.