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.

Large pale pink flowers from mid spring to early summer.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars
 of plants belonging to the Gymnocalycium anisitii  complex (This Taxon has lots of synonyms ( like many other cacti) with several controversial varieties and subspecies):

• Gymnocalycium damsii
• Gymnocalycium damsii var. rotundulum
• Gymnocalycium damsii var. tucavocense (G. anisitii ssp. damsii)
• Gymnocalycium damsii var. tucavocense "RED FOM"
• Gymnocalycium cv. KIKKO (G. anisitsii forma mostruosa) 
• Gymnocalycium cv. RED BLUSH (hybrid)

Cultivation: Summer grower and pretty easy.  Water regularly in summer, keep rather dry in winter, but it can handle excessive water to little water.  Best for half-shade, but it grows well in full sun and full shade, too.
Seed Collecting: Permit fruit to ripen. Fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed.  Clean and dry seeds.

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Gymnocalycium damsii var. tucavocense Backebergnom. inval. (Art. 8.2),  In: Descriptiones Cactacearum Novarum 3: 6,1963

Scientific name: Gymnocalycium anisitsii ssp. damsii (Schumann) G. Charles
In: CSI 20: 17, 2005

"RED FORM"

Origin:  Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Other Synonyms:

• Gymnocalycium damsii (K. Schumann 1903) Britton & Rose
  In: The Cactaceae 3: 163
• Gymnocalycium damsii var. anisitsii
  Katalogname, zit. in Schneekloth-Liste
• Gymnocalycium tucavocense Haage SL 1992/93?
• Gymnocalycium anisitsii var. tucavocaense
• Gymnocalycium joossensianum
• Gymnocalycium griseopallidum

Description: This eye catching garden selection is characterized by an unusual bright red colouring of the body, this colour is due to a reduced production of chlorophyll pigments, nevertheless the plant can normally do photosynthesis and grows normally from seeds.
Stem: Up to 10 cm tall , 8-15 cm in diameter colourful  and highly decorative, with characteristic horizontal clear and dark red strips. The clear areas (above the areoles) are pastel-pink while the dark zone (below the areoles) are Deep purple.
Spines:  Nearly useless in terms of defence.

Note: Seems to be a pretty variable plant.  You might get some other names which are effectively the same plant.... and also not sure all plants identified as this are really this.  
 

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.