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Discocactus crystallophilus
(Syn: Discocactus placentiformis)
CACTUS ART
NURSERY

Cultivation and Mail Sale
of Cacti and Succulents.


This fiercely spined species has very fragrant flowers (like Lemon flowers)
that open up in the evening and close up early the next morning.


Discocactus crystallophilus  HU582

Apex with bud.

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Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Scientific name:  Discocactus crystallophilus Diers & Esteves
In: Kakteen Sukk. 32(11):258. 1981

(The species name is sometime misspelled: "cristallophylus", "crystallophylus" or "cristallophilus")

Subfamily: Cactoideae tribe: Trichocereeae.

Origin:  Brazil (Minas Gerais)
 
Habitat: This cactus grows in the shade of trees.

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 1.These species are threatened with extinction.

Synonyms:  

  • Discocactus placentiformis (Lehm.)K. Schum
  • Cactus placentiformis
  • Discocactus alteolens Lemoine ex A.Dietr.
  • Discocactus latispinus Buining & Brederoo
  • Discocactus milticolorispinus P.J.Braun & Brederoo
  • Discocactus pseudolatispinus Diers & Esteves
  • Discocactus pugionacanthus Buining & Brederoo
  • Discocactus pulvinicapitatus Buining & Brederoo
  • Discocactus tricornis Monv. ex Pfeiff. & Otto
  • Melocactus besleri
Description: Solitary, flattened globose cactus that form a white cephalium at maturity.
Stem: Shaped like a cake up to 6 cm tall (8-9 cm with cephalium), 15 cm in diameter. The epidermis is light green to brownish-green.
Flowers: Nocturnal, very fragrant up to 7-8 cm long, 6 cm in diameter.
Blooming season: Flowers come in profusion in summer, out of the cephalium.
Spines: 5-7 (or more)  brown to reddish.
 
 


 

Cultivation: Collectors consider this cactus genus from South America to be rarities as they are not the easiest plant to keep happy. it is rather difficult to grow and frost tender, should be kept at above 15° C if grown on its own roots (8°C if grafted) need full sun or afternoon shade. Young seedlings are generally grafted because they are slow growing and very rot prone when kept on their own roots and though they can’t endure long stretches of total dryness, too much water will rot them, as their weak root systems tend to be inefficient at sucking up water from wet soil. They generally resent being repotted and can take a long time to establish.

Propagation: Seed. Young seedlings are often grafted on a low stock to keep the plant in a good shape.

 

 

Photo gallery: Alphabetical listing of Cactus and Succulent pictures published in this site.

Photo gallery Discocactus

 

Home | E-mail | Plant files | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search

All the information and photos in cactus art file are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.