Gymnocalycium bayrianum | Horns of Medina
€10,60
Gymnocalycium bayrianum Till ex H.Till
🌱 Morphology
Small, solitary, slow-growing Gymnocalycium with a flattened-globose body, featuring a bluish-green or grayish-green epidermis that can take on reddish tones under intense lighting. It reaches about 10 cm in diameter and 4–5 cm in height and develops a characteristic large, deep napiform (tuberous) root. It has 6–10 wide, low ribs, which are flat at the base and divided into tubercles by furrows above the areoles. The areoles possess yellowish wool that turns gray with age. It usually develops 5 radial spines, strongly curved backward, light brown in color with darker tips; they can reach about 3 cm and turn grayish with age. It generally lacks central spines, although one occasionally appears.
🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
Species from northwestern Argentina, mainly from the provinces of Tucumán and Salta, where it is known from the Sierras de Medina and nearby areas. The type locality is in Cerro Medina, Tucumán, between 1000 and 1500 m. It inhabits rocky and dry environments, with a special affinity for stony surfaces; recent populations have even been observed at higher altitudes.
Family Cactaceae · Subfamily Cactoideae · Tribe Cereeae
❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9a
It tolerates minimum temperatures down to −5 ºC for brief periods and with the substrate completely dry. It is not recommended to combine intense cold with moisture at the roots, especially due to its thick napiform root.
☀️ Lighting
It requires bright light, but the epidermis can suffer burns from the most intense direct summer sun. Soft sun, bright semi-shade, or filtered light is recommended during the central hours of summer. A DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is adequate to maintain compact growth and promote the plant's natural coloration.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter dormancy. Its growth occurs mainly from spring to summer. During the active period, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely before the next watering. In autumn, water intake is progressively reduced until keeping it dry during winter.
🌸 Flowering
The flowers are cream-white, broadly infundibuliform (funnel-shaped), with a characteristic reddish or reddish-pink throat. They can reach approximately 6 cm in length and 4 cm in diameter, appearing around the apex. Flowering occurs mainly during spring and summer and may repeat throughout the season in mature plants. No sufficiently documented age of first flowering has been found to establish a reliable figure.
🌿 Nutrition
During active growth, Desert CHOICE® Cactaceae NPK (Ca-Mg) 4-4-7 (4-4) is recommended once a month along with watering. Assimilable calcium promotes the formation of firm tissues and the maintenance of turgidity, while magnesium participates in chlorophyll synthesis. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering.
🪴 Pot
9x9 cm gourmet black pot
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot, with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
- Shipped today? Order within:
- Hassle-free returns
- Free Shipping on orders over €79.99
Expert advice with every purchase
Our team provides you with personalized advice on caring for your plants and growing media.
-
Secure and protected payment guaranteed.
