€7,95

Eriocephala magnifica (F.Ritter) Lodé · Magnificent cactus

🌱 Morphology
   Blonde and Brazilian... Cactus with an initially globose habit, which can become short-cylindrical with age and form dense clusters. The body is bluish-green, often glaucous, about 7–15 cm in diameter and can exceed 20 cm in height. It features 11–15 straight, marked ribs with areoles very close to each other that form continuous whitish lines. Each areole develops numerous fine, flexible, bristle-like spines, golden yellow in color, up to about 2 cm long, which may darken with age.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Endemic to the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, where it grows on nearly vertical basaltic rock walls of the Serra Geral formation, at altitudes between about 300 and 800 m, surrounded by humid subtropical vegetation. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Cactoideae subfamily, Notocacteae tribe. Its natural distribution is highly fragmented, and known populations occupy hard-to-reach habitats.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9b
Tolerates minimum temperatures down to −4 ºC in dry conditions and with well-acclimatized specimens. During winter, it is preferable to keep it protected from persistent humidity and prolonged frost.

☀️ Lighting
It requires intense light and can be grown in full sun once acclimatized. As a general guide during active growth, a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended. Good ventilation promotes compact growth and the formation of dense, golden spines.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During the cold months, watering is progressively reduced and the substrate is kept practically dry, especially at low temperatures. In spring and summer, watering is resumed abundantly, allowing the substrate to dry out between waterings. Although it comes from a humid subtropical environment, in cultivation, it needs a highly draining substrate to prevent water from remaining around the roots.

🌸 Flowering
The flowers appear in the apical area and are sulfur-yellow, about 4.5–5.5 cm in both length and diameter. The perianth rises above a short tube covered with white wool and brown bristles. After flowering, it develops small, pinkish, globose fruits, up to approximately 1 cm in diameter.

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

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

📏 The sizes of our basic collection xerophytes are as follows:

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 measurements of the plant are specified in the photo description, but this may also vary slightly because, it is a living being! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.

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