Description
This cultivar only varies from the typical well-known A. asterias for the star shaped stem instead of rounded .
Stem: Non-branched, flat, dark green. Diameter 8-16 cm star shaped. Height 2 to 6 cm. Just flat to the ground surface.
Ribs: The main particularity of this cultivar are the tip of the rib that are more or less deeply seated within the plants body, while the suture line between the ribs is turned outward. This unusual feature give this plant it unique starry-looking.
Ribs: Generally it has eight flat ribs, rare few or more.
Spines: Not any.
Hairy scales: Usually loose, sprinkled over the stem in irregular patterns, sometimes arched around the areoles or on line.
Areoles: Round, cream-colored till white hairy up to 6 (3-12) mm) of diameters. The areoles are normally set in a separation up to 10 mm, but can be very close one to each other at cultivated plants.
Flowers: At the apex from the vegetation point, up to 75 mm in diameter. Yellow with red throat.
Origin and Habitat
Garden origin (Nursery-produced cultivar)
Cultivation and Propagation
is not too difficult in a greenhouse, although the plant grows quite slowly. The plant needs a loose, well-drained mineral soil, and a good amount of light. Watering can be done weekly during the summertime, if the weather is sunny enough, with a little fertilizer added. Kept this way, plants will show a healthy, although slow growth. They are frost hardy to -4° (-10°) C.
Propagation: By seeds, but sometime graftred to speed growth.
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