€10,60

Matucana madisoniorum (Hutchison) G.D.Rowley ex D.R.Hunt 

🌱 Morphology
  Generally solitary cactus with a globose-flattened to short columnar body, grayish-green and matte, which can reach about 10 cm in diameter and up to 15 cm in height. It features 7–12 wide, low ribs that are poorly defined and gently wavy. The areoles are small and the spination is highly variable: it may have up to five brownish-black, flexible, and curved spines of up to 3 cm, although some specimens are practically spineless. With age, the spines may become grayer.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Endemic to northern Peru, especially the departments of Amazonas and Cajamarca, where it lives in warm, seasonally dry mountainous environments. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Matucana genus. The species is considered Critically Endangered (CR) by the IUCN. Its natural habitat is very localized.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 10a
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −1 ºC when kept dry and if the specimens are well-acclimated, although it develops best with moderate winter temperatures. It is recommended to protect it, especially from frost and the combination of cold and humidity.

☀️ Lighting
It needs a lot of light, progressively increasing sun exposure as the specimen matures. Young specimens appreciate some protection from the most intense direct sun. During active growth, as a reference, reaching a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During the cold months, it is kept practically dry. In spring, as temperatures rise, watering is resumed; during the active period, it is recommended to water deeply and allow the substrate to dry completely before doing so again. In autumn, watering is progressively spaced out until it enters dormancy.

🌸 Flowering
It is one of the great beauties of the species: it produces intense orange-red, narrowly bell-shaped or funnel-shaped flowers, about 8–10 cm long and up to 4–5.5 cm in diameter. They grow near the apex on an elongated floral tube and appear mainly in late spring and during the summer. The fruits are globose and covered in hairs.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with a high content of assimilable calcium and low levels of nitrogen is recommended, such as Desert CHOICE® Cactaceae, 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 technological square pot, with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

📏 Gourmet xerophyte in a 9x9 cm pot.

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the sent specimen may vary slightly from the product image. The photo description specifies the plant's measurements, but these may also vary slightly because it is a living being! Each plant at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.

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