€10,60

🌱 Morphology
Small opuntioid geophytic cactus, extremely slow-growing and with an almost subterranean appearance. It features a characteristic highly thickened napiform root, which serves as the primary reservoir for water and nutrients, while the body barely protrudes from the soil. The segments are small, globose to slightly cylindrical, grayish-green in color, and may appear solitary or form small clusters over time. The areoles are small and may have glochids and short spines.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Native to the Puna of Bolivia and northwestern Argentina, where it inhabits sandy, stony, and highly well-draining terrain in the Andes, at approximately 3,000 to 3,500 m of altitude. It grows semi-buried, protected from intense radiation, atmospheric dryness, and extreme temperature fluctuations. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, subfamily Opuntioideae.

❄️ Temperature — USDA Zone 8a–11b
It tolerates minimum temperatures down to −12 ºC in dry conditions and with properly acclimated plants. It requires a cold and completely dry winter to maintain its natural cycle and promote flowering.

☀️ Lighting
During active growth, it requires very intense lighting, although its semi-buried growth in nature means it does not necessarily require extreme sun exposure throughout the entire day. A target of approximately 18–25 mol/m²/day of PAR DLI is recommended.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter dormancy. Growth is concentrated during the most favorable periods of spring and summer. Watering should be abundant, allowing the substrate to dry out completely afterward. The napiform root makes it especially important to avoid persistent moisture. During the winter, it remains dormant and must be kept completely dry. It is a very slow-growing species sensitive to excess water.

🌸 Flowering
The flowers emerge from the small aerial parts of the plant and can show yellow to orange tones, depending on the origin and the taxonomic interpretation used. In Madrid, flowering can occur mainly during spring and early summer.

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

Plant in a 7x7x10 cm gourmet napiform pot

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