Matucana aureiflora (Syn: Borzicactus aureiflorus)

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	Matucana aureiflora (Syn: Borzicactus aureiflorus)	CACTUS ART NURSERY Cultivation and Mail Sale of Cacti and Succulents.


Matucana aureiflora is a great plant, with unusually golden flowers that stay open day and night. This cactus is still often encountered under the name of Borzicactus aureiflorus.
Description: Flattened to globular cactus. Stem: 10 cm tall, 12 cm or more in diameter. Roots: Tap root. Spines: Curly, glassy and amber coloured. Leafs: The stem apex of the Matucana aureiflora is unusual among globular cacti in having a visible scale leaf, subtending each areole when young Flowers: Yellow to golden , 5 cm long, 3-4cm in diameter in several flushes, in spring and summer. They stay open day and night.

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Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Scientific name: Matucana aureiflora F. Ritter F. Ritter In: Kakteen und and. Sukkulenten, 16: 229, 1965

Origin: Peru (Camajarca)

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Synonyms:

Submatucana aureiflora (Ritt.) Backeb.
In: Das Kakteenlexikon, p. 459, 1966.
Borzicactus aureiflorus (Ritt.) Don.
In: Cact. Succ. J., 26: 10, 1971.
Matucana celendinensis,
Matucana aureiflora var. elata n. n.
Submatucana aureiflora var. elata n. n.
Submatucana aureiflora var. incaica n. n.
Matucana incaica n. n.
Oroya incaica var. aureiflora n. n

Cultivation: Matucana aureiflora grow slowly in their natural habitats, but in greenhouses they grow quickly. Not very hard to grow if protected from freezing temperatures, they need care in cultivation to reach a good size without developing unsightly marks. They need a minimum temperature of 10° C, but may to survive a light frost. Some direct sun is beneficial in order to get a good spine coloration, but not severe sunlight.
Grow in rich, porous soil and let the soil dry out between waterings. It needs good drainage and a deep pot to accommodate its tap root
Repot in the spring when the roots become cramped. Generally, these plants should be re-potted every other year, in order to provide fresh soil. However, this doesn't necessarily mean they'll need larger containers. After repotting, do not water for a week or more.
Propagation: Seeds

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