Small plants with a very flattened body, the flower are large pinkish-white and the fruits are blue and very decorative. Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family) Scientific name: Gymnocalycium capillaense (Schick) Hosseus Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.
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| Description: It is a weak spined small species notable for the comparatively large flowers that branches forming numerose offsets. This plant is part of a very confused group comprising G. siegelianum and G. sutterianum. Stem: Dull blue-green, very flattened to globular, up to 9 cm tall and in diameter. Root: Large tuberose root apparatus. Ribs: Up to 13 with low, rounded, chin-like tubercles.. Areoles: Oval with white wool. Spines: 5 up to 12 mm long yellowish or whitish, weak, long, stinging. Flower: Large wide delicate pink-white, up to 7 cm tall, 6 cm in diameter. Fruit: Club-shaped, light blue when ripe. NOTE: This species is closely related to Gymnocalycium sigelianum (which has paler flowers and some differences in the number and the colour of spines) | |
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| Cultivation: It is a summer grower species that offers no cultivation difficulties. Water regularly in summer (but do not overwater ) Keep this plant almost dry in winter at a minimum temperature of 0°C, prefer relatively rich substrate and low pH compost (if possible not limestone) otherwise growth will stop altogether. Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer. It is quite frost resistant if kept dry (hardy to -5° C) Seed Collecting: Permit fruit to ripen. Fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed; clean and dry seeds | |
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