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

Rebutia muscula (R. fiebrigii) FR753 Narvaez, Tarija, Bolivia 
is an outstanding snow-white Bolivian species that clusters with age and produces intense orange flowers that will brighten any greenhouse.
 

Photo and © copyright by Andrea B. (Bologna, Italy)

Description: Rebutia muscula is a clumping cactus that form low cushion covered by dense furry white spines.
Stem: 3 cm wide, 4 cm tall. The stems of this cactus grow usually taller than they are broad. It would appear that in cultivation they grow larger and cluster more vigorously than in habitat.
Spines: White, fine and soft that cover the plant body.
Flower: Deep orange, funnel-shaped 2 cm in diameter from the base of the stems.
Blooming Season: Flowers profusely throughout spring into summer with spurts of flowering into autumn.
Fruit: Tiny, berrylike hided among the spines, bursting when ripe.

Note: Nowadays under the name of R. fiebrigii the botanists include several different forms that was previously regarded as independent species, among them:

• "Flame Crown", Rebutia fiebrigii, It’s a Bolivian mountain cactus, found at 3600m altitude, and therefore very hardy. It forms a cylinder about 6cm diameter and 10cm tall with few offsets and it produces striking, flame-red flowers over a long season.

• "White-haired Crown", Rebutia albipilosa It is a plant from northern Argentina. It s a white furrowed cactus with long bristles a large main body with several offsets that blooms sparely but regularly.

• "Donald’s Red Crown", Rebutia donaldiana, It develops a dense clump of small, dark heads with brown spines which make a perfect backdrop for the small, dark orange-red, numerous flowers. It quickly begins to form a large, tight mound and it then proceeds to hide it all under a dense blanket of its flowers.

• "Little Mouse", Rebutia muscula It comes from south Bolivia; it is distinguished by its soft white spination and orange flowers and it blooms heavily in May, continuing until September/October with always at least a few flowers. It is especially desirable for the small size of its main body, with the offsets held closely, usually in a pattern reminiscent of a classical sculpture.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Rebutia fiebrigii complex (This Taxon has lots of synonyms (like most rebutias) whit several controversial varieties and subspecies:

• Rebutia albipilosa (R. fiebrigii "albipilosa")
• Rebutia muscula (R. fiebrigii)
• Rebutia flavistila  (R. fiebrigii "flavistyla")

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Scientific name:  Rebutia fiebrigii (Gurke) Br.& R. ex. Bailey
in L.H.Bailey & L.H.Bailey Stand. Cycl. Hort. 1916

Origin:  Bolivia

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Vernacular Names: 

• Flame Crown (fiebrigii)
• White-haired Crown (albipilosa)
• Donald's Red Crown (donaldiana)
• Little Mouse Orange Snowball (muscula)

• Echinocactus fiebrigii Gurke 1905
• Aylostera fiebrigii Bckbg. 1935
• Rebutia albipilosa Ritt. 1963
• Aylostera albipilosa (Ritt.) Bckbg. 1963
• Rebutia muscula Ritt. & Thiele 1963
• Aylostera muscula (Ritt. & Thiele) Bckbg. 1963
• Rebutia donaldiana Lau & Rowley 1974
• Rebutia nicolaii
• Cylindrorebutia nicolai
• Rebutia permutata
• Rebutia wessneriana var. permutata
• Mediolobivia ithycantha
• Rebutia ithycantha
• Rebutia vallegrandensis
• Rebutia pulchella
• Rebutia jujuyana
• Rebutia donaldiana
• Rebutia cajasensis
• Rebutia kieslingii
• Rebutia tamboensis
• Rebutia cintiensis

Photo and © copyright by Mladen Turcinovic (Hungary)

Cultivation: This species is easy to cultivate in a very open mineral mix, (lots of pumice). Requires full sun or Light shade and careful watering to keep plant compact and maintain strong and dense spines. Keep dry in winter Hardy to -4°C.Give them airy spot and ensure good drainage with soil at least 50% sand or pumice grit.
It is better that they are repotted regularly. Repotting will increase the number and size of stems and will increase the number of flowers produced. Repot yearly until reaching about 100 mm in size, then every two or three years will suffice. Repotting is best done at the end of winter but can be done at other times. Do not water for a couple of weeks after repotting to reduce risk of root rot via broken roots.Keep dry in winter. Hardy to -4°C for a short period. All, especially the young, are susceptible to red spider mites.

Propagation: Offsets, seeds

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