€10,60

🌱 Morphology
Solitary, globose to slightly ovoid cactus, about 5–6 cm in diameter, with a matte green epidermis and a slightly woolly apex. The tubercles are conical, initially prominent and later more flattened, arranged in a spiral and provided with a longitudinal groove. Striking red nectariferous glands appear in these grooves, which produce nectar and attract ants. The areoles develop 20–24 white or grayish radial spines, flexible and with darker tips, as well as 1–3 more robust, reddish, brownish, or horn-colored central spines.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Endemic to northeastern Mexico, mainly in San Luis Potosí and bordering areas of Guanajuato and Nuevo León, where it grows at approximately 1800 to 2350 m, on limestone slopes, stony ground, dry grasslands, and clearings in scrubland or open forest. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Cactoideae subfamily, Cacteae tribe. The nomenclature follows Joël Lodé, Taxonomía de las Cactáceas (2026), volumes III–VI.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9a
Tolerates minimum temperatures down to −7 ºC in dry, well-acclimated specimens. During winter, it must be kept completely dry.

☀️ Lighting
Requires very intense lighting and direct sun to develop compact spination and encourage flowering. As a guideline during active growth, a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During spring and summer, abundant watering is recommended, allowing the substrate to dry out completely before the next application. From autumn onwards, watering is progressively reduced until it is kept dry throughout the winter. Excellent ventilation helps prevent problems derived from excess humidity; the nectar from the glands can promote the appearance of fungi on the epidermis if it remains accumulated.

🌸 Flowering
The flowers appear at the apex and are large in relation to the size of the plant, lemon yellow to bright yellow in color, fragrant, funnel-shaped, and about 5–6 cm in length and diameter. The outer parts may show a characteristic greenish or slightly pinkish central band. Flowering can last from spring to autumn depending on growing conditions.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with high content of assimilable calcium and low nitrogen levels, such as Desert CHOICE® Cactáceas, is recommended, applied once a month when watering. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Floración.

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

S -> 9cm x 9cm

M-> 14cm x 14 cm

L->16cm x 16 cm

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the shipped specimen may vary slightly from the product image. The plant measurements are specified in the photo description, but this may also vary slightly because, after all, it is a living being! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.

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