€7,95

Gymnocalycium monvillei (Lem.) Pfeiff. ex Britton & Rose

🌱 Morphology
Generally solitary, slow-growing cactus with a globose to depressed-globose body, dark green, grayish-green, or olive, 6–8 cm tall and up to 20 cm in diameter. With age, it may become somewhat shorter and columnar. It features 10–17 broad and obtuse ribs, clearly divided into tubercles with the characteristic “chins” below the areoles. The areoles are oval and woolly. The spines are one of its greatest attractions: thick, rigid, and slightly curved, yellow or translucent yellow, frequently with a reddish or violet base; it develops 7–13 radial spines about 3–4 cm long and, occasionally, 1–4 central ones. It forms a robust napiform root.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Endemic to Córdoba and San Luis, Argentina, where it occupies grasslands and rocky outcrops from approximately 500 to 2700 m. Studies of natural populations have also documented marked variation associated with the altitudinal gradient, from subtropical dry forest environments to cold mountain grasslands where frost and snow are common.
Family Cactaceae · subfamily Cactoideae · tribe Cereeae.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 8b
It tolerates minimum temperatures down to −12 ºC when dry and with well-acclimated specimens. Cultivation trials and records have documented resistance around −10 ºC, although for potted specimens it is prudent to avoid the combination of intense cold and humidity.

☀️ Lighting
It appreciates very abundant light and bright semi-shade, especially during the central hours of summer. To obtain compact and robust spination, intense lighting is recommended, with a reference of 20–25 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of DLI PAR, acclimating progressively to direct sun.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During winter, it is kept practically dry. In spring and summer, it resumes growth and deep watering is recommended, letting the substrate dry completely before the next watering. In its habitat, it withstands conditions ranging from relatively dry to mountain environments with summer rainfall; excessive continuous humidity must be avoided.

🌸 Flowering
It blooms approximately from 5–6 years of age from seed. It produces extraordinarily large flowers for the size of the body, 3–8 cm in length and up to about 7–9 cm in diameter, white, pink, or white with pink tinges. Flowering is concentrated in spring and early summer, approximately from March to June depending on origin and growing conditions. Successive flowers have been documented during the season, although there is insufficient evidence to define it as re-blooming in regular pulses.
Its reproductive system is especially interesting: there are hermaphroditic and gynodioecious populations, so it should not be considered universally self-fertile.

🌿 Nutrition
During active growth, Desert CHOICE® Cactaceae NPK (Ca-Mg) 4-4-7 (4-4) is recommended. Assimilable calcium favors the formation of firm tissues and the maintenance of turgidity, while magnesium participates in chlorophyll synthesis.

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

10x10 cm black pot

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The plant measurements 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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