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  Eriosyce ceratistes
(Syn: Eriosyce aurata)
CACTUS ART
NURSERY

Cultivation and Mail Sale
of Cacti and Succulents.


Eriosyce ceratistes ( = aurata )
The spines are strong horn-shaped, glassy and usually black or brownish and pleasantly contrasting with the emerald-blue epidermis.
 

Description: Eriosyce ceratistes is a large barrel-shaped cactus with many ribs and very spiny. Most of the plants in habitat are single headed unless they are damaged.
Stem:
Solitary, emerald-blue, spherical fattened with abundant white wool on top, up to 50 cm in diameter (usually 20 to 30 cm) when very old become shortly columnar, reaching over 90 cm in height (but usually less).
Ribs: Adult specimens have around 21-35 ribs, but fewer in young plant, while in old ones sometime more.
Areoles: Large, approx 3 cm apart.
Spines:
11-20 nearly equal 2,5-3,5 cm long, horn-shaped, subulated, straight or slightly curved. The colour is brown to almost black (often pale-brownish or yellowish when very young). Juvenile specimens have 1 central spine and 8 radial, but the number increase as they get older and areoles can have over 20 spines on mature specimens.
Flowers: Red campanulate or funnel-shaped 5 cm long, with a white hairy floral tube. Inner perianth-segments 1,5 cm long. The flower open for 3-4 hours and then whitening. There might be over 50 flowers on a mature specimen (only mature specimens bloom).
Fruit: 4 cm long.
Seeds: 3 m long.
 


Eriosyce ceratistes Monte Patria.
A form with very blue stems.


Eriosyce ceratistes Huatalame 1000 m.
A form with strong black spines

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Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Eriosyce aurata complex. (This Taxon has several of synonyms whit various controversial varieties and subspecies):


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Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Eriosyce ceratistes Britton & Rose 1922

Accepted Scientific name:  Eriosyce aurata (Pfeiff.) Backeb. 1936

OriginChile (Coquimbo), at medium elevations in the Andes.

Habitat: They grow only in the mountain at an altitude of 100-2000 meters or more.

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Synonyms:  

  • Echinocactus auratus Pfeiff.
    In: Abbild. Beschr. Cact. 2:under pl. 14 1847
  • Echinopsis aurata Salm-dick
    In: Cact. Hort. Dyck. 1849. 39 1850.
  • Echinocactus sandillon Remy
    In Gay, Fl. Chilena 3:14. 1847 (1848)
  • Eriosyce sandillon (Gay) Phil.
    In: Anal. Univ. Chile 41:721. 1872
  • Echinocactus ceratistes Otto In Pfeiffer, Enum. Cact. 51. 1837.
  • Eriosyce ausseliana F. Ritter (Nom inval.) 1980
  • Eriosyce algarrobensis F. Ritter 1980
  • Eriosyce ihotzkyanae F. Ritter 1980
  • Eriosyce lapampaensis F. Ritter 1980

Cultivation: Slow growing, extremely rot prone if kept in a non ventilated place. Requires a very fast-draining drying soilWater regularly in summer, but do not overwater.
Needs a full sun exposure (or light shade)  Good heat tolerance. Hardy to at least -5°C.

Propagation: Usually propagated from Seeds. (seldom produces offsets), but as this species is very sensitive to root rot the young seedlings are frequently grafted on a strong stock.
 

 



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

Photo gallery ERIOSYCE

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

All the information and photos in cactus art file are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.