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Description: It is a nice usually
solitary cactus which is spectacular in bloom.
Stem: Globular or slightly cylindrical approx 8 cm tall
Spines: Very numerous that cover completely the epidermis,.
Radial spines: 20-25 (or more) bristly flexible, short white or
creaminess-yellow with a darker tips.
Central spines: 1-10 creamish, yellowish to pale orange-pink,
stouter and acicular.
Flowers: Glossy pink and white tubular and zigomorphyc.
Blooming season: Throughout late Spring or early Summer often in
several flushes over a long period.
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Cultivation: Matucanas grow slowly in their natural
habitats, but in greenhouses they grow quickly. They need a
minimum temperature of 5° C, but may to survive a light frost. Direct
sun is beneficial in order to get a good spine coloration.
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.
Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars
of plants belonging to the
Matucana haynei
complex
(This
Taxon
has lots of synonyms (
like many other cacti) whit
several controversial varieties and subspecies and comprises a
multitude of different forms, but where each form is linked to others by
populations of plants with intermediate characteristics):
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