🌱 Morphology
 The classic look... Globose to short-cylindrical cactus, initially solitary but with a marked tendency to produce numerous basal offsets and form large compact clumps. The stems are bright green to grey-green, approximately 5–25 cm in diameter, with 11–18 ribs that are straight, rounded, and well-defined. The slightly sunken areoles bear highly variable radial and central spines: generally 3–15 radial and 1–5 central spines, ranging from short and barely visible to robust and several centimeters long. This variability in spination has historically led to plants being described under other names, although Joël Lodé includes them in Echinopsis oxygona.

🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
Native to southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and northeastern Argentina, where it grows from lowland areas to approximately 1000 m, in grasslands, deciduous forests, rocky outcrops and cliffs. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Cactoideae subfamily, Trichocereeae tribe. The nomenclature follows Joël Lodé, Taxonomía de las Cactáceas (2026), volumes III–VI.

❄️ Temperature · USDA zone 8b
Tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −9 ºC when specimens are dry and well acclimatized. Cold tolerance depends especially on the substrate remaining completely dry. Cultivation sources place it in USDA 8b–11b.

☀️ Lighting
Requires intense light and can be grown in full sun, although in very hot summer climates it may benefit from some protection during the middle of the day. As a target during active growth, a PAR DLI of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter dormancy. It is a relatively active and fast-growing species for a cactus. During spring and summer, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry out completely before the next watering. In autumn, watering is gradually reduced to keep it dry during the winter. During the cold period, excess moisture considerably reduces its resistance.

🌸 Flowering
Produces some of the most spectacular flowers among globose cacti: large, funnel-shaped, nocturnal and highly fragrant, emerging laterally on long tubes covered with small scales and hairs. They can reach approximately 20–22 cm in length and up to 20 cm in diameter. Their colour varies from white to pink, purplish-pink or lavender. They normally open at dusk and, on hot days, may wilt the next day. A well-developed adult plant can produce numerous flowers simultaneously.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with a high content of assimilable calcium and low nitrogen levels is recommended, such as Desert CHOICE® Cactáceas, 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 technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.

S -> 9cm x 9cm

M-> 14cm x 14 cm

L-> 16cm x 16 cm

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the sent specimen may vary slightly from the product image. The photo description specifies the plant's measurements, but these may also vary slightly because it is a living being! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.