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

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.

Turbinicarpus subterraneus var. zaragosae

CACTUS ART
NURSERY

Cultivation and Mail Sale
of Cacti and Succulents.

 


 

Description: Usually solitary, club-shaped cactus.
Stem: Globular to cylindrical, up to150 mm high, 50mm wide, greenish-blue with a woolly apex.
Areoles: The areoles in the flowering area are very woolly.
Root: Semi-taproot connected to the stem by a rather slender neck
Tubercles: Pyramidal, conical.
Radial spines: 21-25, bent slightly backwards, thickened at the base, glassy white with brown tip 3-6 mm long, except for 2 or 3 bristle-like ones, up to 2 cm.
Central spines: 2, brownish black, turning grey with age, one erect, darker, around 15-20 mm long.
Flowers: Slender funnel form, pale yellow to violet, 18-20 mm long with darker mid-vein, 15-30 mm wide,1-2 cm long.
Blooming season: Spring to summer
Fruits: Greenish-brown, small.

 


 


 


Whitish-yellow flowering form.


 A flower bud

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

Photo gallery turbinicarpus

 


Advertising



 

Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Scientific name:  Turbinicarpus zaragosae (Glass & R.Foster) Glass & A.Hofer ex Glass, 1997

Origin:  Found in the municipalities of Zaragosa, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Habitat: Grows in nearby gypsum hills. Altitude 1500-1700m

Conservation status: Listed in CITES Appendix I

Synonyms:

  • Turbinicarpus mandragora ssp. zaragozae (Glass & Foster) J. Lüthy
  • Gymnocactus subterraneus var. zaragosae Glass & Foster 1978
  • Neolloydia subterranea var. zaragosae (Glass & Foster) E.F.Anderson 1986
  • Turbinicarpus subterraneus var. zaragosae (Glass & Foster) A.D.Zimmerman 1994
  • Turbinicarpus zaragosae (Glass & Foster) Glass & Hofer ex Glass 1997
  • Pediocactus subterraneus (Backeberg) J.J. Halda, Acta Mus. Richnov. Sect. Nat., 5 (1): 17, 1998
  • Pediocactus subterraneus v. zaragosae (Glass & R.A. Foster) J.J. Halda, Acta Mus. Richnov. Sect. Nat., 5 (1): 18: 1998

 

 


Cultivation:
It’s a fairly easy species to cultivate, but is quite prone to rot, especially after the first flowering. Needs a very well-drained soil. Will benefit from adding up to 30% Gypsum to the potting mix.
Requires strong sun to part sun. Waterings should be rather infrequent to keep the plant compact, and avoid it becoming excessively elongated and unnatural in appearance.
During the winter rest period they should be dry and cool. Interrupt watering when night temperatures remain below 10° C.  It is hardy to -4°C for a short period.
Assure good ventilation.

Propagation: Seeds.
 


An old specimen

 

 


Flowers are multicoloured or  bi-coloured, from yellowish-white to almost violet-pink.

A young violet flowering  specimen with still juvenile spines
SB1437 Zaragosa, NL, Mexico

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of
the Turbinicarpus mandragora complex
(This taxon has lots of synonyms, with several controversial varieties and subspecies):

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

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.