€15,90

🌱 Morphology
   Generally solitary cactus, with a globose to slightly elongated body, which can reach about 25 cm in height and around 9 cm in diameter. It has approximately 18 ribs, initially divided into elongated tubercles of 1–2 cm arranged in a spiral, which may become more continuous with age. The areoles develop very characteristic spination, with rigid, acicular to subulate spines, dark brown to almost black in color and up to about 5 cm in length. The root is short and thickened. Material historically referred to as var. borealis is distinguished by its elongated habit, dark spination, and red to dark red flowers.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It originates from southern Bolivia, especially from the Chuquisaca region, between Camargo and Culpina, extending through the dry valleys around Cinti. It grows in arid mountainous environments, on stony terrain and among xerophytic vegetation, from approximately 2,500 m altitude and in other populations of the species up to higher elevations. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Cactoideae subfamily, Trichocereeae tribe. The former Lobivia lateritia var. borealis Rausch is a nom. nud. name and does not constitute a validly published botanical taxon; material WR 303/WR 306 is currently associated with Lobivia lateritia.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 8b–11b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −9 ºC in dry, acclimatized specimens protected from winter moisture. Its origin in the Bolivian Andes allows it to withstand significant nocturnal drops during dormancy.

☀️ Lighting
It requires very intense light and several hours of direct sun to maintain compact growth and develop the intense coloration of its spines. As a guideline during active growth, a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter dormancy. During spring and summer, it is recommended to water deeply once the substrate has dried out completely. In autumn, watering is progressively reduced until the plant is kept dry throughout the winter.

🌸 Flowering
The flowers appear laterally and reach approximately 5 cm in length. In the material historically called borealis, they are red to dark red, a particularly intense contrast with the brownish-black spines. This characteristic was precisely noted by Rausch when describing the WR 303 material.

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

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

9x9 cm pot

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