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Eriosyce oculta
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Description: Small-growing plant with low, spineless (or spiny),
dark purple to almost black stem.
Stem: Flat, solitary, mostly
underground, slowly clumping as it ages, 5 cm in diameter; generally 8
to 10, up to 14 tuberculate ribs. The unusual colouring ranges from pale
pinkish-grey to a deep purple (or almost black)
Root: Tuberous root.
Spines: Spineless or spiny, 0 or 1 central spine, 2 -10 mm long;
4 to 8 short radials, 1-11 mm long. All the spines tend to fall as the
plant ages. The spineless form is more popular with collectors
Flowers: Large, silky, whitish, yellowish to pinkish orange, 3.5 cm
in diameter.
Fruit: Red, showy in winter.
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This species reputedly grows almost completely hidden below
the soil (in habitat), and is extremely hard to find unless it is in
bloom.
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Fruit mature in winter while plants are resting.
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A rare Yellow bodied plant. A very rare colouring! |
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Family:
Cactaceae (Cactus
Family) |
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Scientific name:
Eriosyce occulta Kattermann 1994
Origin: Northern
Chile (Antofagasta).
Conservation status: Listed in
CITES appendix 2.
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Synonyms:
- Neochilenia occulta
- Neoporteria occulta
- Pyrrhocactus occultus
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Photo &
© copyright
by Süleyman Demir Turkey
Home page:
http://community.webshots.com/user/demir165
The flowers have a peculiar silky shine,
and are followed by showy red fruits in winter.
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If you like deep purple-bodied
plants, you simply must get Neochilenia occulta (if you haven't already).
The flowers are large, silky, whitish, yellowish to pinkish orange, 3.5 cm
in diameter. This plant blooms easily in several flush in spring.
Cultivation: It is a summer-growing species. Water regularly in summer, but do not
over-water (rot prone).
It needs good drainage and very a porous
potting soil Keep dry in winter.
Feed with a high
potassium fertilizer in summer.
Full sun to light shade
Propagation: Seeds (seldom
produces offsets)
Note: The plants labelled as E.
occulta are quite variable in spines and body colour. When it comes
to buying plants of this species we often have built up an image of what
it should look like from a limited number of pictures in a book. This will
not prepares us for the variability that can occur in nature, and among
cultivated specimens. Some taxa are quite uniform in appearance, while
others like E. occulta can confuse the most experienced
cactophile.
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Cultivation and
Mail Sale 
