Turbinicarpus alonsoi Xichu, Guanajuato, México.
An old
mature specimen,
its distinctive form
perhaps reminds one
at first of
Obregonia.
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Description: T. alonsoi is a small
geophytic solitary cactus with a large tap-root, and only the
apical part of the stem exposed at soil level.
Stem: Flattened, spherical, mostly underground, 6-7 (-9) cm in
diameter, up to 11 cm long.
Ribs: Arranged in tubercles, these are 15 mm long and 13 mm wide
at the base, slightly angular, upper side keeled, however concave at
the base, clearly keeled on the underside, arranged in spirals,
opposite contact
parastichy with a number relationship of 5:8 or 8:13, from
grey-green to glaucous in colour.
Areoles: At first with reddish brown wool, later becoming
grey.
Spines 3-5, up to 20 mm long, flattened, cardboard-like, grey with
dark tip, irregularly bent inwards, frequently weathered, not
piercing.
Flowers: Cherry red to pink-magenta, with more
intensely coloured mid-stripe 20-30 mm in diameter, 25-35 mm long,
standing above the tubercles by about 10 mm, with approximately 22 inner (teptals),
scale like perianth segments, more intensely red with pale edge. Pistil
15 mm long, white, standing above the stamens by around 2-4 mm, with 6
white, 1.5-2 (-2.5) mm-long stigma lobes.
Blooming season: From March to October, mainly between April and
June
Fruit: 10 mm long, 5 mm in diameter, smooth, reddish-dark
purple, brighter at the base, opening with 1-2 longitudinal tears.
Seeds: 1 mm long, 0.75 mm high.
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An young plant. |
Buds
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Buds |
Fruits |
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Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and
cultivars of Turbinicarpus alonsoi:
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Family:
Cactaceae (Cactus
Family)
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Scientific name:
Turbinicarpus alonsoi
Glass&Arias 1996
First
description:
Glass and Arias, Kakteen und andere Sukkulenten,, 47(2):
26-27, 1996
Synonym:
Pediocactus
alonsoi
(Glass
& S.Arias) J.J.Halda 1998
Published
in:
Acta
Mus. Richnov. Sect. Nat., 5 (1): 22: 1998
Conservation status: Listed in
CITES appendix I.
Locality:
Xichu, Guanajuato, México.
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Cultivation: It’s a fairly
easy species to cultivate. It needs a very well-drained soil,
and requires
strong sun to part sun to develop good spinal growth.
Waterings
should be rather infrequent to keep the plant compact, and
avoid its becoming
excessively elongated and unnatural in appearance. Keep dry in
winter, or when night temperatures remain below 10° C.
It is hardy to
-4°C for a short period. Assure a good ventilation.
Reproduction: From seed, since the plant rarely produces
plantlets, or grafted (grafted plants
take more time to display the characteristic shape of the tubercles)
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Sometimes in cultivation the old specimens will produces basal shoot. |
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Cultivation and Mail Sale 
