Lobivia aurea DJF235
The specific name means golden flowered
 

A nice form with long golden spines.
Lobivia aurea var. fallax

Description: Solitary or with many basal and lateral offshoots.
Stems:  Dark green globular or elongated reaching a height of 15cm and a diameter of 4 to 10 cm or more.
Ribs: 14 to 15 sharp-edged separated by deep grooves.
Areoles: Brown on young plants.
Spines: 8 to 10 radials clear radial about 1 cm. long pointing outward, usually 4 central spines, 2 to 4(-6) cm long. The one to four central spines are thicker, sometimes flat, about 3 cm (up to 6cm) long, and brown to black with yellow tips.
Flowers: (nearly 10 cm.) long. They are usually lemon yellow and bright yellow inside, but this species also has white, pink or red flowers. Blooms in flushes in late spring and occasionally in summer. Buds are covered by long silky hairs and grow laterally from the centre of the stem. The tube is slightly curved, funnel-shaped, slender and a greenish white, with pale green scales red at the base, with white and black down.

Cultivation: It is a summer grower species that offers no cultivation difficulties.  Water regularly in summer (but do not overwater ) It is rot prone and should be planted in a shallow pot. As most Echinopsis cultivated for their blossom, it needs a soil mixture a little richer than the average cactus with still an excellent drainage,  keep rather dry in winter.
It is quite frost resistant if kept dry (hardy to  -5°(-18°) C  Outside full sun or afternoon shade, inside needs bright light, and some direct sun.

Propagation: Direct sow after last frost, offsets (if available)

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of Lobivia aurea (Echinopsis aurea). (This taxon has lots of synonyms (like most Lobivia) whit several controversial varieties and subspecies):

• Lobivia aurea
• Lobivia aurea var. fallax
• Lobivia aurea var. mizquensis
• Lobivia aurea var. shaferi
• Lobivia aurea var. shaferi forma mostruosa

Origin Northern Argentina.

There are several varieties with very different spine shape and length.

One of these, fallax, has a greyish-green stem and is very spiny; all the spines are very long, stout brown to black at first.

Synonym:

• Hymenorebutia quinesensis,
• Lobivia leucomalla,
• Lobivia densispina var. leucomalla,
• Lobivia famatimensis var. leucomalla,
• Echinopsis leucomalla,
• Hymenorebutia leucomalla,
• Echinopsis aurea var. quinesensis,
• Lobivia aurea var. quinesensis,
• Echinopsis quinesensis,
• Lobivia shaferi,
• Echinopsis fallax var. shaferi,
• Lobivia shaferi ssp. rubriflora,
• Lobivia fallax,
• Lobivia shaferi ssp. leucomalla,
• Salpingolobivia aurea,
• Lobivia shaferi ssp. fallax,
• Lobivia aurea, Hymenorebutia aurea,
• Lobivia ancastii,
• Lobivia cylindracea,
• Lobivia shaferi,
• Echinopsis cylindracea,
• Lobivia cylindrica,
• Hymenorebutia aurea var. cylindrica,
• Echinopsis fallax,
• Pseudolobivia aurea var. fallax,
• Pseudolobivia aurea