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Description


F. schilinzkyana is a tiny odd species with small heads and friendly short spines. On beautiful summer days one can admire the splendour of its beautiful yellow flower, larger than the plant itself. Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family) Subfamily: Cactoideae Origin: Argentina & Paraguay (South America) Habitat: Grows on grass plains. Scientific Name: Frailea schilinzkyana (Haage jr.) Britton & Rose 1922 Conservation status: Listed in CITES Appendix II Etymology: The genus name "Frailea" remembers the Spanish "Manuel Fraile", born in 1850, who was responsible for the cactus collection of the United States Department of Agriculture at the end of the XIX century.
![]() Frailea schilinzkyana On beautiful summer days one can admire the splendour of its beautiful yellow flower, larger than the plant itself. The diminutive stem is a splendid shining dark-purple, with ginger spines. | |
Desciption: Frailea schilinzkyana is a very small cactus that remains solitary or (occasiaonally) somewhat cespitose. | |
F. schilinzkyana is a tiny odd species with small heads and friendly short spines. Cultivation: Fraileas are are tiny plants with comparatively big yellow flowers, often bigger than the whole plant itself and are especially suitable for those with limited growing space. They can be easily grown in a sunny windowsill or a small greenhouse. The secret for keeping Fraileas happy and growing is to pot them in a rich, porous soil with good drainage and aeration, to give them lots of water and let them dry out between waterings. Fraileas do like more water than most other cacti. If you over-pot them (in about 6-7 cm pots) they grow much better and healthier, as they can be quite short-lived if not given correct growing conditions. During winter they like cool and dry places (minimum temperature of 5-10° C) but even light frosts do not harms them. Characteristically, during the dry season plants retract completely under the ground, both in the wild and in cultivation too. Occasional light spray of water during the winter helps plants from shrivelling up too much. In the summer they like the pot to be filled with rainwater (which is always better to use than tap water) quickly absorbed by the plants, and one can almost see the little bodies swelling up. After a day or two, it is best to drain off any remaining water in the under-pots. Sun Exposure: They enjoy full sun. In a shaded position the plants grow faster, but are not flat shaped or dark coloured.
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