Publication: Eriosyce (Cactac.) gen. revis. & ampl. (Succ. Pl. Res., 1) 119 (1994)
Description
Eriosyce subgibbosa much better known under its old name, Neoporteria subgibbosa, is a very variable species that has received numerous names. It is one of the few species that forms cylindrical stems. Four subspecies are recognized, the nominate form, subsp. clavata (K.Schum.) Katt., subsp. vallenarensis (F.Ritter) Katt. and subsp. wagenknechtii (F.Ritter) Katt.
Habit: Solitary, but sometimes branched, columnar perennial cactus erect or somewhat procumbent when long.
Stem: Globular to columnar, up to 90 cm tall (or more), up to 10 cm wide. Grey-green, yellowish-green, brownish-green or blackish-green.
Ribs: (11-)16-20(-22) more or less notched with chinlike protrusions.
Areoles: Large and woolly.
Spines: Partially hiding the ribs, needle like, more or less long and dense, white, yellowish, golden yellow, brown, or nearly black, while older one became greyish.
Radial spines: (8-)16-24(-40), 1-2(-3) cm long, radiating.
Central spines: 4 to 8, occasionally up to 16, stronger, up to 4 cm long,straight or recurved and spreading, often darker at the tips..
Flower: Pretty relatively small up to about 3-5(-6) cm long, bi-coloured with magenta, rose to the violet petal tips and pinkish-white, white or yellowish-white throat, giving the sensation of being fluorescent and being very difficult to photograph in good conditions because that particularity. Inner tepals erect, acute, concealing the stamens.
Blooming season: Blooms early in late winter to spring. It is advisable to leave them dry from middle of November to obtain fantastic flowering later in January/March.
Fruits: Ovoid to cylindrical, 1,5-2 cm long, 1 cm in diameter, red or reddish-green partly hollow at maturity, only scarcely woolly, apical areoles not spinescent.
Remarks: This species has many (very controversial) varieties.
Origin and Habitat
Eriosyce subgibbosa is endemic to coastal Chile where it occurs in the regions of Biobio, Maule, O´Higgins, Valparaiso, Coquimbo and Atacama.
Altitude: It grows at elevations of 0 to 300 metres above sea level.
Habitat: Grows on rocky outcrop on costal terraces cliffs, slopes, often hanging from rocks in sclerophyllous forest, from areas with very arid Mediterranean climate to areas of transition between Mediterranean climate and humid forest. The species is common and abundant, and the population seems to be stable. The major threat is illegal collection and urbanization in tourism areas, but these are localized impacts.
Cultivation and Propagation
It is a summer-growing species of relatively easy cultivation that continues to be, a particular prize among collectors. This plant is extremely xerophytic, adapted to very dry soils and is quite susceptible to over-watering if kept in a non ventilated place.
Growth rate: Slow-growing.
Soil: Grow it in an open mineral, sandy-gritty cactus compost and provide a very good drainage.
Exposure: It is suited for sunny-brightly exposure, but can tolerate light shade. However it will do its best only with lots of sun and become stressed with inadequate light which could result in poor growth and unnatural shape. It has a good heat tolerance.
Watering: Water sparingly and keep it completely dry during winter. Mature individuals easily rot and die especially after transplanting so be extremely cautious with watering. Keep dry in winter or when night temperatures remain below 10° C. Water it less than average if in bigger pots.
Fertilization: Feed them once during the growing season with a fertilizer specifically formulated for cactus and succulents (high potash fertilizer with a dilute low nitrogen), including all micro nutrients and trace elements diluted to ½ the strength recommended on the label. They thrive in poor soils and need a limited supplies of fertilizer to avoid the plants developing excess vegetation, which is easily attacked by fungal diseases.
Special need: It is suited for airy exposures. Provide very good ventilation. Nearly all problems occur as a result of overwatering and poor ventilation, especially when weather conditions are dull and cool or very humid. They must have very dry atmosphere.
Hardiness: It likes warmth (recommended minimum winter temperature 5° C) But plants kept perfectly dry can easily survive to winter night temperatures below 0° C.
Pests & diseases: These cacti 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 misting the plants from above.
- Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new leaves and flowers with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects.
- Scales, thrips and aphids: These insects are rarely a problem.
- Rot: Rot is only a minor problem if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly. If they are not, fungicides won’t help all that much.
Propagation: Usually propagated from seeds (seldom produces offsets) or graft. The seeds can be sown in pots of fine, well-drained sandy soil, any time during the spring when temperatures are warm. Cover the seeds with a fine layer of grit and water from below with a fungicide to prevent damping off. For the 1-2 weeks cover the pots with a sheet of glass/clear perspex to keep the humidity levels high. Remove the glass and replace it with light shade-cloth and mist once or twice a day for the next two weeks after which most seeds should have germinated. From then on mistings can be reduced to every second and then every third day as the little plants grow. The seedlings should not be disturbed until they are well rooted after which they can be planted separately in small pots. Sometimes it is grafted to avoid root rot problems as plants grafted on an hardy stock are easy to grow and no special skill is required.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
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Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
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Nathaniel Lord Britton, Joseph Nelson Rose “Cactaceae: Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family” vol. 4 The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington 1923
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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
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David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. “The New Cactus Lexicon” dh books, 2006
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“Succulent Plant Research” Volume 1, David Hunt, Richmond 1994, page. 117.
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Fred Kattermann “Eriosyce (Cactaceae): The Genus Revised and Amplified” David Hunt, 1994
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E Haustein “Der Kosmos Kakteenfuehrer (the Kosmos Cactus Guide)” Balogh Scientific Books 01 December 1998
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Hans Hecht “BLV-Handbuch der Kakteen” BLV-Verlagsgesellschaft, 1982
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Terry Hewitt “Cacti” Lorenz Books, 01/Apr/1998
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Faundez, L., Guerrero, P., Saldivia, P. & Walter, H.E. 2013. Eriosyce subgibbosa. In: IUCN 2013. “IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.” Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 16 January 2014.
From llifle page Neoporteria litoralis
Description
Eriosyce subgibbosa var. litoralis (firstly described as Neoporteria litoralis by F.Ritter in 1959) is a local or morphological form of the widespread and variable Eriosyce subgibbosa. It is a very spiny solitary or slowly clumping cactus and has from 30 to 40 hairlike radial spines per areole. However the different forms of Eriosyce subgibbosa var. litoralis, appear to fall within the natural variation of Eriosyce subgibbosa and it should be fully synonymized with the latter.
Origin and Habitat
It grows in the rocks near the ocean.
Source: Neoporteria litoralis, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
From llifle page Neoporteria cachitaensis
Description
Neoporteria cachitaensis is an undescribed name (n.n.) published in some seed catalogues, possibly a cactus lumped into Eriosyce paucicostata now, since Ritter described Pyrrhocactus neohankeanus to be from a place in Chile called Cachita.
Orthographic variants: cachytaensis, cachetayensis or cachitaensis.
Origin and Habitat
Cachita (East of Taltal), region 02 Antofagasta, Chile.
Cultivation and Propagation
Neoporteria cachitaensis is a summer-growing species of relatively easy cultivation that continues to be, a particular prize among collectors. This plant is extremely xerophytic, adapted to very dry soils and is quite susceptible to over-watering if kept in a non ventilated place.
Growth rate: Slow-growing.
Soil: Grow it in an open mineral, sandy-gritty cactus compost and provide a very good drainage.
Exposure: It is suited for sunny-brightly exposure, but can tolerate light shade. However it will do its best only with lots of sun and become stressed with inadequate light which could result in poor growth and unnatural shape. It has a good heat tolerance.
Watering: Water sparingly and keep it completely dry during winter. Mature individuals easily rot and die especially after transplanting so be extremely cautious with watering. Keep dry in winter or when night temperatures remain below 10° C. Water it less than average if in bigger pots.
Fertilization: Feed them once during the growing season with a fertilizer specifically formulated for cactus and succulents (high potash fertilizer with a dilute low nitrogen), including all micro nutrients and trace elements diluted to ½ the strength recommended on the label. They thrive in poor soils and need a limited supplies of fertilizer to avoid the plants developing excess vegetation, which is easily attacked by fungal diseases.
Special need: It is suited for airy exposures. Provide very good ventilation. Nearly all problems occur as a result of overwatering and poor ventilation, especially when weather conditions are dull and cool or very humid. They must have very dry atmosphere.
Hardiness: It likes warmth (recommended minimum winter temperature 5° C) But plants kept perfectly dry can easily survive to winter night temperatures below 0° C.
Pests & diseases: These cacti 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 misting the plants from above.
- Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new leaves and flowers with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects.
- Scales, thrips and aphids: These insects are rarely a problem.
- Rot: Rot is only a minor problem if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly. If they are not, fungicides won’t help all that much.
Propagation: Usually propagated from seeds (seldom produces offsets) or graft. The seeds can be sown in pots of fine, well-drained sandy soil, any time during the spring when temperatures are warm. Cover the seeds with a fine layer of grit and water from below with a fungicide to prevent damping off. For the 1-2 weeks cover the pots with a sheet of glass/clear perspex to keep the humidity levels high. Remove the glass and replace it with light shade-cloth and mist once or twice a day for the next two weeks after which most seeds should have germinated. From then on mistings can be reduced to every second and then every third day as the little plants grow. The seedlings should not be disturbed until they are well rooted after which they can be planted separately in small pots. Sometimes it is grafted to avoid root rot problems as plants grafted on an hardy stock are easy to grow and no special skill is required.
Source: Neoporteria cachitaensis, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
Cultivars and forms (8)
Subspecies (3)
Varieties (3)
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