Publication: Guía Identif. Cact. Amenazadas México 1: Th/ga (1998 publ. 1997)
Description
Solitary or occasionally scarcely cespitose.
Stem: Pale green bronzing to dull purple red in sun and cold, 12 cm in diameter, 7.5 cm high.
Ribs: completely divided into tubercles arranged in 8 and 13 spirals, about 15 mm high and 15 mm wide at base.
Areoles: Slightly below the tip on the outer side of rounded tubercle, the floriferous portion is a narrow extension approximately 3 or 4 mm long on the inner side of the tubercle tip.
Radial spines: Of two types, 7 heavy acicular in lower half of areole, spreading, radiating, and 7 in the upper half, fine acicular, almost bristle-like.
Central spines: 4, lowest about 60 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide near base somewhat down-curving, dull grey tipped brownish. Lateral centrals spreading-ascending variably 30-50 mm long.
Flowers: 30-40 mm in diameter, 30-35 mm long palest translucent shiny pink, with darker pink mid stripe, darker and broader towards the base, rarely almost pale translucent creamy white, even on same plants as pale rose flowers. Anthers bright yellow.
Flowering time: December through February (or spring)
Fruit: Elongating at maturity to 20 mm long, ca. 13 mm wide, purplish red fading to yellowish towards the base, with small, triangular scales.
Origin and Habitat
Restricted to one locality in Tamaulipas (comes from the vicinity of Bustamante where it was found by the Lausser couple) Type Locality: Municipio de Bustamante
Cultivation and Propagation
Thelocactus garciae is easy to cultivate and recommended for any collection that needs lots of light with ample airflow.
Growth rate: It is a small growing, but easily flowering species. It offset from the base and can fill a 25 cm pot in just a few years given the best conditions.
Soils: It likes very porous standard cactus mix soil with little organic matter (peat, humus).
Repotting: Repotting every 2-3 years. It will need a pot with sufficient depth to allow the tap root. As it is especially prone to rot under-pot in a smaller container filled with very porous compost. Use pot with good drainage.
Watering: Water regularly in summer, but do not overwater (very wet-sensitively, especially in light of its succulent root system). Its roots are easily lost in pots that stay damp for any length of time. Keep dry with ample airflow in winter. In the rest period no high atmospheric humidity!! Care must be taken with watering as they tends to become swollen and untidy in growth habit if given too much water and shade.
Fertilization: During the growing season enrich the soil using a fertilizer rich in potassium and phosphorous, but poor in nitrogen, because this chemical element doesn’t help the development of succulent plants, making them too soft and full of water.
Hardiness: Reputedly sensitive to frost , but less so if kept on the dry side prior to, and during, cold weather (hardy to -7° C for short periods). However some warmth throughout the year will increase the grower’s success (minimum 5° to 8°C during rest season).
Exposition: Outside bright sun, filtered sunlight or afternoon shade, inside it needs bright light, and some direct sun. Subject to sunburn if exposed to direct sun for too long. Tends to bronze in strong light, which encourages flowering and heavy wool and spine production.
Uses: It is an excellent plant for container growing. It always looks good and stays small. It look fine in a cold greenhouse and frame.
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: Sensitive to red spider mite. Overhead watering is helpful in controlling mites.
- Mealy bugs: Occasionally mealy bugs they 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: Rot it is only a minor problem with cacti if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly. If they are not, fungicides won’t help all that much.
Reproduction: Nearly always from seed, since the plant rarely produces plantlets.
Notes
This plant is similar to both Thelocactus conothele and Thelocactus tulensis. It differs from the members of the Thelocactus conothele complex by its darker green, bronzing, more prominent tubercles, different spination and distinct flower colour of shiny pink with darker mid-stripe. It differs from members of the Thelocactus tulensis complex by its greener stem color, and radial spine count of 14 as compared to 6-7 for Thelocactus tulensis, 7-8 for Thelocactus buekii and 7 for Thelocactus matudae, and by the flower colour, pink and white striped to yellow for Thelocactus tulensis and purplish red or reddish purple for Thelocactus buekii and Thelocactus matudae.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
-
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
Gallery
