La Matucana madisoniorum, a volte chiamata anche Submatucana, è una specie molto attraente di forma globulare con costolature simili a quelle di una lophophora. Le piante senza spine sono sorprendentementi simili ad un peyote.

Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Scientific name:  Matucana madisoniorum (Hutchison) G. D. Rowley 1971

Origin:  Peru (Amazonas)

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Synonyms:

Matucana madisoniorum , sometimes found listed as Submatucana, is an attractive small globular plant with ribs resembling Lophophora, the ones that lack spines look so much like peyote that the uninformed may think they actually are.

Description: Normally solitary globose cactus that may clump with age.
Stem: Flat globular to elongate with age up to 15 cm tall,10 cm in diameter. One of most endearing feature of this plant is its unusual rough textured blue or grey-green epidermis.
Spines: Sometimes individual plants may be almost entirely spineless, while other specimens are covered with spines or have spines missing on parts of the plant. Seedlings of this species are all densely covered with long, curving spines; however, seedlings from plants growing at lower altitudes will ordinarily lose their spines at maturity, while those from higher altitudes keep theirs, but it is very variable in this respect, and spineless plants can grow spiny offsets, or get just an occasional spine.
Flowers: Zygomorphic tending to lean on one side, bright orange-red, 3.5 cm in diameter, and slighty longer 5-7 (10) cm long.
Blooming time: Flowers more than once in several flushes throughout the summer.

Paul Hutchinson of the University of California Botanical Gardens discovered M. madisoniorum  about 1963 or so in a valley in Peru. It is now alternately called Submatucana madisoniorum or Borzicactus madisoniorum.

Photo & © copyright by Süleyman Demir Turkey

A pink/violet flowering specimen.

Cultivation: Matucana madisoniorum grow slowly in their natural habitats, but in greenhouses or grafted they grow quickly with tissue that is less firm. Not very hard to grow if protected from freezing temperature they needs care in cultivation to reach a good size without developing unsightly marks, need a minimum temperature of 10° C, but may survive a light frost. It benefits from a good light but not severe sunlight.
Grow in rich, porous soil and let their soil dry out between waterings. Needs good drainage
Repot in the spring when their roots become cramped. Generally, they should be repotted every other year in order to provide fresh soil. However, this doesn't necessarily mean they'll need larger containers. After repotting, do not water for a week or more.

Propagation: Seeds.