Parodia microsperma subsp. herzogii (Rausch) Janeba 

🌱 Morphology
From the mountains... A solitary cactus with a very depressed, globose body and an almost discoidal appearance. It is bright green and can reach about 12 cm in diameter without becoming columnar with age. Its ribs, numbering up to about 22, are arranged in a spiral and divided into small tubercles of about 4 mm. The areoles are small and densely woolly. It has around 20–24 white, fine, flexible, and interlaced radial spines of up to 1 cm, which can hide much of the body. The 4–5 central spines are much longer, flexible, hooked, and brown in color, reaching up to about 5 cm.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Native to northwestern Argentina, especially in the province of Salta, in the surroundings of Cafayate, where it is known from localities situated at an altitude of around 2,500 m. It grows on rocky substrates, even on semi-vertical surfaces, developing a lateral root system that allows it to adhere to the terrain. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Cactoideae subfamily, and Notocacteae tribe.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −4 ºC when kept dry and properly acclimated. Due to its high-mountain origin, it withstands significant temperature fluctuations, but it must be protected from prolonged humidity during cold weather.

☀️ Lighting
It requires very intense light and several hours of direct sun, with progressive adaptation. 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 abundantly and allow the substrate to dry out completely before watering again. In winter, it should be kept practically dry and with good ventilation.

🌸 Flowering
It produces exceptionally showy flowers about 3.5–4 cm in diameter, with pink and golden outer segments and yellow to orange inner petals. The filaments have orange-pink tones, and the overall display can acquire an intense reddish-orange coloration. The flowers appear during the warm period, forming a striking crown in the apical zone.

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

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

* As 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 thing! Each Desert CITY plant has unique characteristics.