Matucana oreodoxa | Glory of the Mountains
€10,60
Matucana oreodoxa (F.Ritter) Slaba
🌱 Morphology
Globose cactus, generally solitary, up to about 8 cm in diameter, with a grass-green to dark green body and a characteristic taproot that extends deep into the substrate. It features 7–12 low, flattened ribs, divided into rounded tubercles. The areoles produce 4–10 brown, flexible radial spines, up to 3 cm long, and usually 1–2 more robust central spines, up to 4 cm long, which turn grayish with age. The combination of its compact body, tuberous root, and brownish spines gives it an especially elegant appearance.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Endemic to Peru, in the Puchca River valley, in Áncash, within the Marañón basin. It inhabits dry inter-Andean slopes and valleys, approximately between 1,800 and 3,000 m in altitude, growing among rocks and xerophytic vegetation. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, genus Matucana. The epithet oreodoxa means "glory of the mountains".
❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9b
Tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −4 ºC when kept dry and with well-acclimated specimens. As it is a taprooted species, it is especially important to keep it completely dry during cold spells.
☀️ Lighting
Requires plenty of light and direct sun, especially during active growth, although young specimens must be acclimated progressively. As a reference, it is recommended to reach a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During the winter, it is kept completely dry. In spring, when temperatures rise, deep and spaced-out watering is resumed, allowing the substrate to dry out completely between waterings. Its taproot makes it especially important to avoid excess water and substrates that remain moist for a long time.
🌸 Flowering
Produces intense orange-red, narrowly funnel-shaped flowers, approximately 4–6 cm long and up to 3 cm in diameter. They are relatively large in proportion to the small body of the plant and appear near the apex during the growing season. The fruits are oval, light green, about 1.5 cm long.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growing period, a fertilizer with high levels of assimilable calcium 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 high-tech square pot with substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
9x9 cm pot
* Since this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The measurements of the plant 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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