Publication: Cactaceae (Britton & Rose) 3: 74. 1922 [12 Oct 1922]
Description
Solitary or with many basal and lateral offshoots. This species has a wide range and shows a great variability
Stems: Dark green globular or elongated reaching a height of 15cm and a diameter of 4 to 10 cm or more.
Ribs: 14 to 15 sharp-edged separated by deep grooves.
Areoles: Brown on young plants.
Spines: 8 to 10 radials clear radial about 1 cm. long pointing outward, usually 4 central spines, 2 to 4(-6) cm long. The one to four central spines are thicker, sometimes flat, about 3 cm (up to 6cm) long, and brown to black with yellow tips.
Flowers: (nearly 10 cm.) long. They are usually lemon yellow and bright yellow inside, but this species also has white, pink or red flowers. Blooms in flushes in late spring and occasionally in summer. Buds are covered by long silky hairs and grow laterally from the centre of the stem. The tube is slightly curved, funnel-shaped, slender and a greenish white, with pale green scales red at the base, with white and black down.
Origin and Habitat
Northern Argentina.
Cultivation and Propagation
Echinopsis aurea (and all its varieties) is one of the more common cacti, extremely resistant to neglect. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to provide adequate growing conditions in order to obtain abundant blooms.
Growth rate: It is a relatively rapidly growing species that will make large clumps given the best conditions.
Soils: As most Echinopsis cultivated for their blossom, it needs a soil mixture a little richer than the average cactus with still an excellent drainage. Prefer a low pH compost, avoid substrata too rich in limestone.
Repotting: This plant needs plenty of space for its roots, repotting should be done every other year or when the it has outgrown its pot. It is rot prone and should be planted in a shallow pot. Use pot with good drainage.
Watering: Needs moderate to copious waterings in summer (it is more demanding than other cactus), but do not overwater, keep dry in winter at a minimum temperature of 0°C.
Fertilization: Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer.
Hardiness: It is quite frost resistant if kept dry and hardy to -5° C to -18° C or less for short periods (depending on varieties and growing conditions). However warmth throughout the year will increase the grower’s success (minimum 5° C during rest season).
Exposition: The plant tolerates bright situations which encourages flowering and heavy spine production, but is likely to suffer from sun scorch or stunted growth if over exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day in summer. It grows well with filtered sunlight or afternoon shade.
Uses: It is an excellent plant for container growing. It look fine in a cold greenhouse and frame or outdoor in a rockery. It is also used as a rootstock for grafting delicate and slow growing cactus species.
Pests & diseases: It may be attractive to a variety of insects, but plants in good condition should be nearly pest-free, particularly if they are grown in a mineral potting-mix, with good exposure and ventilation. Nonetheless, there are several pests to watch for:
- Red spiders: Red spiders may be effectively rubbed up by watering the plants from above.
- Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new growth among the wool with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects.
- Scales: Scales are rarely a problem.
- Rot: This species is particularly easy and accommodating, seldom suffer of cryptogamic diseases. Rot it is only a minor problem with Echinopsis if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly.
Propagation: Direct sow after last frost, offsets (if available) . Seeds germinate in 7-14 days at 21-27° C in spring, remove gradually the glass cover as soon the plants will be well rooted (ca 1-2 weeks) and keep ventilated, no full sun for young plants! To make a cutting twist off a branch and permit it to dry out a couple of weeks, lay it on the soil and insert the stem end partially into the soil. Try to keep the cutting somewhat upright so that the roots are able to grow downward.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
-
David Hunt, Nigel Taylor “The New Cactus Lexicon” DH Books, 2006
-
Edward F. Anderson “The Cactus Family” Timber Press, 2001
-
James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass”Cambridge University Press, 11/ago/2011
-
David Hunt, Nigel Taylor “The New Cactus Lexicon” DH Books, 2006
-
Walter Rausch “Lobivia 85” Rudolf Herzig Vienna 1985/86 (text in German)
-
Curt Backeberg “Das Kakteenlexikon: Enumeratio diagnostica Cactacearum” Gustav Fischer Verlag, 1979 (text in German)
-
Demaio, P., Kiesling, R., Lowry, M., Perea, M., Trevisson, M. & Ortega-Baes, P. 2013. Echinopsis aurea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 13 August 2014.
From llifle page Echinopsis ancastii
Description
It is a red-flowered form of Lobivia aurea Solitary which eventually clusters.
Flowers: blood-red about 8 cm in diameter at the top of the bodies.
Origin and Habitat
Sierra de Ancasti, Argentina.
Source: Echinopsis ancastii, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
From llifle page Echinopsis densispina f. leucomalla
Description
Echinopsis leucomalla a.k.a. “Cob Cactus” is one of the geographical forms of the very variable Echinopsis aurea (= Lobivia aurea) with compact stems closely covered with white spines, and huge pale lemon yellow flowers. However it look very similar to other varieties of Echinopsis aurea which are linked one to each others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics. Nowadays all them are thought to belong to a unique polymorphic species with some individual covered in fine white hairs spine, while others do not. Such variations has led to establishment of several unnecessary names for this species.
Habit: Solitary or with several basal and lateral offshoots.
Stems: Dark green globular or elongated reaching a height of 15 cm and a diameter of 5-6 cm or more.
Ribs: 14 to 15 sharp-edged separated by deep grooves.
Areoles: Whitish or brownish on young plants, closely set and oval.
Spines: The central spines are long and brown while the numerous radial spines are white and hair-like.
Flowers: Very showy, nearly 10 cm long an up to 7 cm across, lemon yellow and bright yellow inside. Buds are covered by long silky hairs and grow laterally from the centre of the stem. The tube is greenish white, slightly curved, funnel-shaped, slender with pale green scales often red at the base, with abundant white and black hairs.
Blooming season: It flowers in mid spring on into summer. Sometimes it blooms profusely, especially on older plants.
Origin and Habitat
Catamarca and San Luis, Argentina
Altitude: About 700-1100 metres above sea level.
Cultivation and Propagation
Echinopsis sierragrandensis is one of the more common cacti ,extremely resistant to neglect. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to provide adequate growing conditions in order to obtain abundant blooms.
Growth rate: It is a relatively rapidly growing species that will make large clumps given the best conditions.
Soils: As most Echinopsis cultivated for their blossom, it needs a soil mixture a little richer than the average cactus with still an excellent drainage. Prefer a low pH compost, avoid substrata too rich in limestone.
Repotting: This plant needs plenty of space for its roots, repotting should be done every other year or when the it has outgrown its pot. It is rot prone and should be planted in a shallow pot. Use pot with good drainage.
Watering: Needs moderate to copious waterings in summer (it is more demanding than other cactus), but do not overwater, keep dry in winter at a minimum temperature of 0°C.
Fertilization: Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer.
Hardiness: It is quite frost resistant if kept dry and hardy to -5° C to -18° C or less for short periods (depending on varieties and growing conditions). However warmth throughout the year will increase the grower’s success (minimum 5° C during rest season).
Exposition: The plant tolerates bright situations which encourages flowering and heavy spine production, but is likely to suffer from sun scorch or stunted growth if over exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day in summer. It grows well with filtered sunlight or afternoon shade.
Uses: It is an excellent plant for container growing. It look fine in a cold greenhouse and frame or outdoor in a rockery. It is also used as a rootstock for grafting delicate and slow growing cactus species.
Pests & diseases: It may be attractive to a variety of insects, but plants in good condition should be nearly pest-free, particularly if they are grown in a mineral potting-mix, with good exposure and ventilation. Nonetheless, there are several pests to watch for:
- Red spiders: Red spiders may be effectively rubbed up by watering the plants from above.
- Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new growth among the wool with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects.
- Scales: Scales are rarely a problem.
- Rot: This species is particularly easy and accommodating, seldom suffer of cryptogamic diseases. Rot it is only a minor problem with Echinopsis if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly.
Propagation: Direct sow after last frost, offsets (if available) . Seeds germinate in 7-14 days at 21-27° C in spring, remove gradually the glass cover as soon the plants will be well rooted (ca 1-2 weeks) and keep ventilated, no full sun for young plants! To make a cutting twist off a branch and permit it to dry out a couple of weeks, lay it on the soil and insert the stem end partially into the soil. Try to keep the cutting somewhat upright so that the roots are able to grow downward.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
-
Walther Haage “Cacti as House Plants” Studio Vista, 1965
-
Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
-
James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass” Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
-
David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. “The New Cactus Lexicon” dh books, 2006
-
N. L. Britton, J. N. Rose “The Cactaceae. Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family.” Volume 4, The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington 1923,
-
Curt Backeberg: “Die Cactaceae: Handbuch der Kakteenkunde” Volume V, Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart New York 1982–1985.
Source: Echinopsis densispina f. leucomalla, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
From llifle page Echinopsis fallax
Description
Echinopsis aurea subs. fallax is a solitary or branched subspecies species distinguished by impressively strong and very showy spines.
Stems: Dark green to grey-green, globular or elongated, reaching a height of 15 cm and a diameter of 4 to 10 cm or more.
Ribs: 14 to 15, sharp-edged, separated by deep grooves.
Spines: It has 8 to 10 radials, paler, about 2 cm long pointing outward and, usually, 4 central spines, 3 to 6 cm long. The central spines are thicker, about 4 cm (up to 6cm) long, and brown to black with yellow tips.
Flowers: Lemon yellow and bright yellow inside (nearly 10 cm) long. Blooms in flushes in late spring and occasionally in summer. The buds are covered by long silky hairs and grow laterally from the centre of the stem. The tube is slightly curved, funnel-shaped, slender and greenish white, with pale green scales, red at the base, with white and black below.
Notes
There are several varieties of Lobivia (Echiopsis) aurea, with very different spine shapes and lengths.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
-
David Hunt, Nigel Taylor “The New Cactus Lexicon” DH Books, 2006 ISBN 0953813444, 9780953813445
-
Edward F. Anderson “The Cactus Family” Timber Press, 2001
-
James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass”Cambridge University Press, 11/ago/2011
-
David Hunt, Nigel Taylor “The New Cactus Lexicon” DH Books, 2006 ISBN 0953813444, 9780953813445
-
Walter Rausch “Lobivia 85” Rudolf Herzig Vienna 1985/86 (text in German)
-
Curt Backeberg “Das Kakteenlexikon: Enumeratio diagnostica Cactacearum” Gustav Fischer Verlag, 1979 (text in German) ISBN 3437201794, 9783437201790
Source: Echinopsis fallax, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
From llifle page Echinopsis fallax var. albiflora
Description
Echinopsis aurea var. albiflora better known as Lobivia aurea var. albiflora, is one of the morphological forms of the very variable Echinopsis aureadistinguished from the type for its pure white flowers (never yellow). If not in flower it look very similar to other varieties of Echinopsis aurea which are linked one to each others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics. Nowadays all them are thought to belong to a unique polymorphic species with some individual producing red blooms, while others do not. Such variations has led to establishment of several unnecessary names for this species.
Habit: Solitary or with several basal and lateral offshoots.
Stems: Dark green globular or elongated reaching a height of 15 cm and a diameter of 5-6 cm or more.
Ribs: 14 to 15 sharp-edged separated by deep grooves.
Areoles: Whitish or brownish on young plants, closely set and oval.
Spines: The central spines are long and brown while the numerous radial spines are white and thinner.
Flowers: Very showy,up to 7 cm across, pure white. Buds are covered by long silky hairs and grow laterally from the centre of the stem. The tube is slightly curved, funnel-shaped, slender with green scales often red at the base, with abundant white and black hairs.
Blooming season: It flowers in mid spring on into summer. Sometimes it blooms profusely, especially on older plants.
Origin and Habitat
A few rare white flowering specimens of Echinopsis aurea (a.k.a. Echinopsis aurea var. albiflora) are randomly found among standard yellow flowering plants in the provinces of Catamarca and Cordoba, Argentina
Altitude range: 250-500 metres above sea level.
Source: Echinopsis fallax var. albiflora, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
From llifle page Echinopsis fallax var. shaferi
Description
Lobivia shaferi is a clustering species with many basal and lateral offshoots and huge yellow flower. It is very spiny and produces large pale yellow flowers, but shows a certain degree of variability depending on origin.
Stems: Dark green to greys-green globular, becoming cylindric reaching a height 5-15 cm and a diameter of 2 - 4 cm or more.
Ribs: About 10 very low, laterally compressed.
Areoles: Closely set often brown on young plants.
Radial spines: 6 to 15 about 1-1,5 cm long, rigid, acicular, pointing outward white to brown.
Central spines: Several (usually 4), thicker, sometimes flat, about 3 cm long, and brown to black with yellow tips, one often stouter than the other.
Flowers: 4-6 (or more) cm long. They are pale-yellow to bright lemon-yellow. Buds are very hairy covered by long silky hairs and grow laterally from the centre of the stem. The tube is slightly curved, funnel-shaped, slender and a greenish white, with liner to ovate-linear scales often red at the base, with white and black down. Style greenish white, stigma cream coloured (rarely greenish).
Blooming season: Blooms in flushes in late spring and occasionally in summer. The flower lasts one or two days only.
Fruits: Orangish, dehishent with white pulp.
Seeds: Black, rugose, about 1,5 mm in diameter.
Origin and Habitat
Prov. Mizque, dept. Cochabamba (Bolivia)
Habitat: Grows in dry hillside thickets often in firm leaf-mould among shrubs. Altitude 2300-3000 m.
Source: Echinopsis fallax var. shaferi, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
From llifle page Cereus huascha var. rubriflorus
Description
Echinopsis aurea var. dobeana better known as Lobivia dobeana, is a rather controversial plant which Rausch refers to the Echinopsis aurea complex, but Backberg says is a synonym of Lobivia andalgaiensis (Echinopsis huascha var. andalgalensis). Nowadays it is considered by most authors nothing else than one of the geographical forms of the very variable Echinopsis aurea (= Lobivia aurea) distinguished from the type for its red flowers (never yellow). If not in flower it look very similar to other varieties of Echinopsis aurea which are linked one to each others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics. Nowadays all them are thought to belong to a unique polymorphic species with some individual producing red blooms, while others do not. Such variations has led to establishment of several unnecessary names for this species.
Habit: Solitary or with several basal and lateral offshoots.
Stems: Dark green globular or elongated reaching a height of 15 cm and a diameter of 5-6 cm or more.
Ribs: 14 to 15 sharp-edged separated by deep grooves.
Areoles: Whitish or brownish on young plants, closely set and oval.
Spines: The central spines are long and brown while the numerous radial spines are white and thinner.
Flowers: Very showy, nearly 10 cm long an up to 7 cm across, bright red. Buds are covered by long silky hairs and grow laterally from the centre of the stem. The tube is slightly curved, funnel-shaped, slender with green scales often red at the base, with abundant white and black hairs.
Blooming season: It flowers in mid spring on into summer. Sometimes it blooms profusely, especially on older plants.
Origin and Habitat
Sierra Ancasti and adjacent areas, Catamarca, Argentina Northwest
Altitude: 1000-2000 meters above sea level.
Habitat: Gently rolling grass covered hills together with Parodia malyana.
Cultivation and Propagation
Echinopsis aurea (and all its varieties) is one of the more common cacti ,extremely resistant to neglect. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to provide adequate growing conditions in order to obtain abundant blooms.
Growth rate: It is a relatively rapidly growing species that will make large clumps given the best conditions.
Soils: As most Echinopsis cultivated for their blossom, it needs a soil mixture a little richer than the average cactus with still an excellent drainage. Prefer a low pH compost, avoid substrata too rich in limestone.
Repotting: This plant needs plenty of space for its roots, repotting should be done every other year or when the it has outgrown its pot. It is rot prone and should be planted in a shallow pot. Use pot with good drainage.
Watering: Needs moderate to copious waterings in summer (it is more demanding than other cactus), but do not overwater, keep dry in winter at a minimum temperature of 0°C.
Fertilization: Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer.
Hardiness: It is quite frost resistant if kept dry and hardy to -5° C to -18° C or less for short periods (depending on varieties and growing conditions). However warmth throughout the year will increase the grower’s success (minimum 5° C during rest season).
Exposition: The plant tolerates bright situations which encourages flowering and heavy spine production, but is likely to suffer from sun scorch or stunted growth if over exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day in summer. It grows well with filtered sunlight or afternoon shade.
Uses: It is an excellent plant for container growing. It look fine in a cold greenhouse and frame or outdoor in a rockery. It is also used as a rootstock for grafting delicate and slow growing cactus species.
Pests & diseases: It may be attractive to a variety of insects, but plants in good condition should be nearly pest-free, particularly if they are grown in a mineral potting-mix, with good exposure and ventilation. Nonetheless, there are several pests to watch for:
- Red spiders: Red spiders may be effectively rubbed up by watering the plants from above.
- Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new growth among the wool with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects.
- Scales: Scales are rarely a problem.
- Rot: This species is particularly easy and accommodating, seldom suffer of cryptogamic diseases. Rot it is only a minor problem with Echinopsis if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly.
Propagation: Direct sow after last frost, offsets (if available) . Seeds germinate in 7-14 days at 21-27° C in spring, remove gradually the glass cover as soon the plants will be well rooted (ca 1-2 weeks) and keep ventilated, no full sun for young plants! To make a cutting twist off a branch and permit it to dry out a couple of weeks, lay it on the soil and insert the stem end partially into the soil. Try to keep the cutting somewhat upright so that the roots are able to grow downward.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
-
Walter Rausch “Lobivia: The Day Flowering Echinopsidinae from a Geographical Distribution Point of View” Volumes 1-3 R. Herzig, 1975
-
Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
-
James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass” Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
-
David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. “The New Cactus Lexicon” dh books, 2006
-
Walter Rausch “Lobivia 85” Rudolf Herzig Vienna 1985/86 (text in German)
-
Curt Backeberg “Das Kakteenlexikon: Enumeratio diagnostica Cactacearum” Gustav Fischer Verlag, 1979 (text in German)
Source: Cereus huascha var. rubriflorus, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
From llifle page Lobivia aurea var. sierragrandensis
Description
Lobivia aurea is a very variable taxon with solitary or branched stems with many basal and lateral offshoots. There are several varieties with very different spine shape and length. The var. sierragrandesis has long thin spines.
Stems: Dark green globular or elongated reaching a height of 15cm and a diameter of 4 to 10 cm or more.
Ribs: 14 to 15 sharp-edged separated by deep grooves.
Areoles: Brown on young plants.
Radial spines: More than 10 thin, clear about 1 cm. long pointing outward,
Central spines: Usually 4 , 2 to 4 cm long. The one to four central spines are thicker reddishi-brown to blackish with yellow tips.
Flowers: Up to 10 cm long. They are usually lemon yellow and bright yellow inside. Blooms in flushes in late spring and occasionally in summer. Buds are covered by long silky hairs and grow laterally from the centre of the stem. The tube is slightly curved, funnel-shaped, slender and a greenish white, with pale green scales red at the base, with white and black down.
Origin and Habitat
Sierra Grande de Cordoba, Cordoba, Northern Argentina, 1600-1800 m.
Source: Lobivia aurea var. sierragrandensis, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
From llifle page Lobivia mizquiensis
Description
Solitary or clustering.
Stems: Dark green globular or elongated up to 15 cm tall, 6-8 cm (Or more) in diameter.
Ribs: 14 to 15 sharp-edged separated by deep grooves.
Areoles: Brown on young plants.
Central spines: 3-5 thin acicular, about 3 cm (up to 6cm) long, and reddish-brown.
Radial spines: 12 to 20 whitish about 1-1,5 cm long pointing outward.
Flowers: Nearly 10 cm long. They are usually lemon yellow and bright yellow inside, buds are covered by silky hairs and grow laterally from the centre of the stem. The tube is slightly curved, funnel-shaped, slender and a greenish white, with pale green scales red at the base, with white and black down. Produced in flushes in late spring and occasionally in summer.
Origin and Habitat
Prov. MIZQUE, dept. Cochabamba (Bolivia)
Source: Lobivia mizquiensis, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
From llifle page Lobivia shaferi f. monstruosa
Description
The standard Lobivia aurea v. shaferi is a very spiny cactus. The monstrous form here described is a quite different almost spineless clustering plant with ovoidal growth habit that branches profusely and can slowly grow up to 30 cm tall.
Stem: Composed by upright sections that branches avidly up to 3-8 (-10) cm tall by 3-5 cm in diameter, bright-green to dull olive-green with purple hues in full sun, with only a few areoles with a short white wool. The areoles are arranged irregularly and often are fused to form peculiar horizontal lines contrast with the stem.
Spines: Few honey-coloured to brown with darker tips, located on the few areole in groups. They can grow up to 4–25 mm long.
Flowers: Yellow and monstrous looking with short curled petals and a greenish to orangish floral tube.
Origin and Habitat
Garden origin.
Cultivation and Propagation
Echinopsis aurea forma monstruosa is very easy to cultivate and propagates readily from cuttings. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to provide adequate growing conditions in order to obtain abundant blooms.
Growth rate: It is a relatively rapidly growing species that will make large clumps given the best conditions.
Soils: As most Echinopsis cultivated for their blossom, it needs a soil mixture a little richer than the average cactus with still an excellent drainage. Prefer a low pH compost, avoid substrata too rich in limestone.
Repotting: This plant needs plenty of space for its roots, repotting should be done every other year or when the it has outgrown its pot. It is rot prone and should be planted in a shallow pot. Use pot with good drainage.
Watering: Needs moderate to copious waterings in summer (it is more demanding than other cactus), but do not overwater, keep dry in winter at a minimum temperature of 0°C.
Fertilization: Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer.
Hardiness: It is quite frost resistant if kept dry and hardy to -5° C. However warmth throughout the year will increase the grower’s success (minimum 5° C during rest season).
Exposition: The plant tolerates bright situations which encourages flowering and heavy spine production, but is likely to suffer from sun scorch or stunted growth if over exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day in summer. It grows well with filtered sunlight or afternoon shade.
Uses: It is an excellent plant for container growing. It look fine in a cold greenhouse and frame or outdoor in a rockery. It is also used as a rootstock for grafting delicate and slow growing cactus species.
Pests & diseases: It may be attractive to a variety of insects, but plants in good condition should be nearly pest-free, particularly if they are grown in a mineral potting-mix, with good exposure and ventilation. Nonetheless, there are several pests to watch for:
- Red spiders: Red spiders may be effectively rubbed up by watering the plants from above.
- Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new growth among the wool with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects.
- Scales: Scales are rarely a problem.
- Rot: This species is particularly easy and accommodating, seldom suffer of cryptogamic diseases. Rot it is only a minor problem with Echinopsis if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly.
Propagation: Offsets or grafting. To make a cutting twist off a branch and permit it to dry out a couple of weeks, lay it on the soil and insert the stem end partially into the soil. Try to keep the cutting somewhat upright so that the roots are able to grow downward.
Source: Lobivia shaferi f. monstruosa, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
From llifle page Lobivia shaferi f. monstruosa cristata
Description
This is the cested form of the monstrous cultivar known as Echinopsis aurea subs. shaferi f. monstruosa.
It has iregular bright-green to dull olive-green ribs with purple hues in full sun. It has only a few areoles with a short white wool. The areoles are arranged irregularly and often are fused to form peculiar horizontal lines contrasting with the stem.
Spines: Few honey-coloured to brown with darker tips, located on the few areole in groups. They can grow up to 4–25 mm long.
Flowers: Yellow and monstrous looking with short curled petals and a greenish to orangish floral tube.
Origin and Habitat
Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)
Cultivation and Propagation
It is easy to grow and cold hardy as low as -5°C (or less). Need a fertile, well drained soil mix. Water the plants well and allow them to dry before watering again. This cultivar seems to do better with a little more water than most cacti. In fact, its cultivation requirements are really more like ‘normal’ plants than most other cacti. During the growing season fertilize them monthly with a balanced fertilizer
Sun Exposure: Outside full sun, but during hot summers, the cactus are subject to sun burning, so grow them in light shade, inside needs bright light, and some direct sun.. During winter month, put them in a cool luminous place and encourage them to enter winter dormancy by withholding water and fertiliser over the winter as they will ethiolate, or become thin, due to lower levels of light. They are susceptible to fungal diseases if overwatered, but are not nearly as sensitive as many other cacti, especially in warm weather. They tend characteristically towards black rotted spots unless watering is moderate and only in hot weather, if kept damp through cold periods, they will invariably suffer.
Propagation: It can easily be multiplied from cutting. Single sections are taken off, dried and rooted. It is also grafted on strong columnar species.
Source: Lobivia shaferi f. monstruosa cristata, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
Cultivars and forms (10)
Subspecies (2)
Varieties (6)
Gallery
