Description
Plants obtained by controlled pollination of ♀Astrophytum senilis aureum x ♂Astrophytum asterias.
The superb feature of some of this hybrids is due to the intersection between the traits of the ancestors and make them very desirable. Ribs are sharp (usually eight) and have short spines clearly indicating the relationship with Astrophytum senilis var. aureum. The main characteristic of this hybrids are the yellow woolly areoles, as the plants age the areoles become more and more large, woolly and colourful. The old specimen are often very handsome. This hybrid are strong but slow growing. The flower are also very beautiful. There is also a is a selected strain with unusual orangish-pink flower often called Astrophytum hybrid SEN-AS rosa (A.senilis x A.asterias nudum) .
Remarks: Compare with the inverse hybrid Astrophytum hybrid AS-SEN(AU) (A. asterias x A. senilis aureum) which is similar but with (usually) shorter spines.
Origin and Habitat
Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)
Cultivation and Propagation
It is not too difficult in a greenhouse, although grows quite slowly. The plants need a loose well-drained mineral soil. They need a good amount of light. Watering can be done weekly during 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, remembering that seedlings dislike strong light and dry conditions and need to be repotted frequently. Eventually, as they become mature, they attain a maximum size of 8-10 cm (20) cm. However, old plants become senile and have a tendency to succumb to disease and a weak root system. At this stage, as is well known, they die suddenly. So, after they reach 10 cm in diameter grow them slowly, and adopt a new repotting period, using intervals of every 2 - 3 years. Additionally grow them under drier conditions or with stronger sunlight. But plants are often grafted to accelerate growth as they would generally take at least a five years to reach maturity on their own, but the grafted plants are typical rather tall growing, compared with plants on their own roots that are usually more flat to the ground.