€10,60

Gymnocalycium ochoterenae subsp. vatteri (Buining) Papsch 

🌱 Morphology
A small, very slow-growing Gymnocalycium, generally solitary, although old specimens may form small basal clusters. The body is globose-flattened, with a grayish-green to bluish-green epidermis, and can reach about 9 cm in height and 4–10 cm in diameter. It has wide, subtle ribs with areoles that produce a characteristically reduced spination: usually 1–3 recurved spines, although practically bare areoles can also appear. This scarcity of spines is one of the traits that has historically helped distinguish it from other forms of G. ochoterenae.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Native to Argentina, mainly from the province of Córdoba, in the Sierras de Córdoba. Populations are known in the vicinity of Sierra Grande, Nono, and Las Rabonas, at approximately 700 to 1,000 m altitude. It grows in scrubland and xerophytic vegetation environments, where it remains protected among rocks and other plants. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, subfamily Cactoideae.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9a
Tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −5 ºC when kept dry and for well-acclimated specimens. Although it is resistant to light frosts when kept completely dry, one should not extrapolate the much lower temperatures attributed to other mountain Gymnocalycium species to this subspecies.

☀️ Lighting
Prefers bright partial shade or softened direct sun, especially during the hours of peak radiation. Lighting exceeding 20 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of DLI PAR is recommended, with progressive adaptation to the sun. Slight summer protection helps maintain the bluish-green epidermis and prevents burns.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During winter, it should be kept dry and cool. In spring and summer, it begins its active growth, and it is recommended to water abundantly but infrequently, allowing the substrate to dry out completely before watering again. At the end of summer, watering should be gradually reduced until it enters dormancy once more.

🌸 Flowering
The flowers are white with a pink to reddish throat, about 3.5–5.5 cm long, and appear near the apex. In cultivation, it can begin to flower at approximately 4–5 years of age, although this depends greatly on growth and the size reached. It features prolonged flowering during the warm season, with the possibility of successive flowers between June and September.

🌿 Nutrition
During active growth, Desert CHOICE® Cactáceas NPK (Ca-Mg) 4-4-7 (4-4) is recommended. Assimilable calcium promotes the formation of firm tissues and the maintenance of turgidity, while magnesium participates in chlorophyll synthesis. Blooming can be triggered with Desert CHOICE® Flowering.

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

9x9 cm pot

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The plant's measurements are specified in the photo description, but these 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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