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E. subgibbosa var. subgibbosa
Plant belonging to this taxon have
dense spines nearly hiding the ribs,
but they
are very variable in appearance.
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Description:
Eriosyce subgibbosa
is a very variable species that and has received numerous names. It is
one of the few species that forms cylindrical stems.
Stem: Solitary, but sometimes
branched, globular to columnar, up to 90 cm tall (or more), up to 10 cm
wide. Grey-green, brownish-green or blackish-green.
Ribs:
± 20
Spines:
Nearly hiding the ribs, acicular, more or less long and dense, white,
yellowish, golden yellow, brown, or nearly black, while older one became
greyish.
Radial spines:
8-30, radiating,
Central spines:
4 (or more) stronger, straight or recurved and spreading, often darker
at the tips..
Flower:
Pretty relatively small up
to about 4 cm long,
bi-coloured with magenta, rose to the violet petal tips and
pinkish-white, white or yellowish-white throat, giving the sensation of
being fluorescent and being very difficult to photograph in good
conditions because that particularity.
Blooming season: Blooms early in
late winter to spring. It is advisable to leave them dry from middle of
November to obtain fantastic flowering later in January/March.
Fruits:
Ovoid to cylindrical, partly hollow at
maturity, only scarcely woolly, apical areoles not spinescent.
Here are few short
descriptions of some of the many (very controversial) variety of this
variable plant:
Eriosyce subgibbosa var. subgibbosa (Haworth) F.
Kattermann. This is the form with more elongated stems, with 8 to 30
thin, acicular, radial spines per areole, spines often yellowish
Eriosyce subgibbosa var.
castanea (F.Ritter) Katt. It
has thin short and acicular radial spines and globose stems that will
sometimes offset. The flowers can get up to 6 cm long (the larger among
the "subgibbosa" forms).
Eriosyce subgibbosa var.
litoralis (F.Ritter) Katt.
It is very spiny and has from 30 to 40 hairlike radial spines per areole
it grows in the rocks,
Eriosyce subgibbosa ssp.
clavata (Söhrens ex K.Schum.)
Katt. It has from 11 to 13 thick radial spines per areole and slender
stems.
Eriosyce subgibbosa ssp.
clavata var. nigrihorrida (Backeb.)
Katt. It has dark coloured radial spines and globose stems most of the
time.
Eriosyce subgibbosa ssp.
clavata var. vallenarensis (F.Ritter)
Katt. it has from 9 to 24 thin & straight radial spine per areole and
slender stems.
Eriosyce subgibbosa ssp.
clavata var. wagenknechtii (F.Ritter)
Katt. It has dark skin and smaller pink flowers than the other varieties
at about 3 cm cm wide.
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Family:
Cactaceae (Cactus
Family)
Scientific name: Eriosyce
subgibbosa var. subgibbosa (Haworth) F. Kattermann
Conservation status: Listed in
CITES appendix 2.
Origin: Coastal Chile
(Approx from Valparaiso to Maule)
Habitat: Grows
on rocky outcrop on costal terraces
cliffs, slopes, often hanging from rocks,
from areas with very arid Mediterranean climate to areas of transition
between Mediterranean climate and humid forest.
Synonyms:
- Echinocactus
subgibbosus Haw.
[Philos. Mag.
10:419. 1831]
- Eriosyce
subgibbosa (Haw.) Katt.)
- Neoporteria
subgibbosa (Haw.) Britton & Rose)
-
Eriosyce subgibbosa subsp. subgibbosa
-
Euporteria subcylindrica,
Heterotypic synonyms:
Neoporteria rapifera, Echinocactus
rostratus, Hildmannia rostrata,
Neochilenia rostrata, Chilenia rostrata, Neoporteria subcylindrica,
Euporteria subcylindrica, Chilenia subcylindrica, Neoporteria
subgibbosa var. microsperma, Neoporteria microsperma, Chilenia
castaneoides, Echinocactus castaneoides, Neoporteria castaneoides,
Echinocactus castaneoides.
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Cultivation:
It
is a summer grower species. Easy to cultivate but somewhat
rot prone if kept in a non
ventilated place. Require a very fast draining drying soil,
water regularly in summer, but do not over-water.
Needs a
full sun exposure (or
light shade) Good heat tolerance.
Hardy to at least -5°C ( but probably can tolerate - 10° C for brief
periods)
Propagation:
Usually propagated from Seeds.
(seldom produces offsets)
Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of
plants belonging to the
Eriosyce subgibbosa
complex (This
taxon has lots of synonyms (like most Eriosyce),
with several controversial varieties and
subspecies):
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