Description
Thelocactus hexaedrophorus subs. lloydii cv. monstruosus forms large clusters of firm, rubbery-textured green, monstrous stems.
Stem: Irregularly cylindrical shaped, grey to bluish-green, covered by a glaucous/grey pruina. Sometimes it will have a normal “patch” and remain mostly monstrous. The monstrous areas are bumped and strangely corrugated.
Tubercles: Thick but low, strangely bumped, small or wide, sometimes 2 cm wide; flowering groove rather short.
Spines: It has 1 white-brown central spines with sharp tips up to 3 cm long, and about 6 white brown radial spines per areole. Ascending from and curved outward from middle and terete .
Flowers: Light pink to almost white with. Filaments whitish, anthers honey/yellow, style yellowish, stigma lobes yellowish.
Origin and Habitat
Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)
Cultivation and Propagation
Thelocactus hexaedrophorus subs. lloydii cv. monstruosus is easy relatively to cultivate and t needs lots of light with ample airflow.
Growth rate: It is a small growing, but easily flowering species.
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.
Monstrous growth: In “monstrous” varieties of plants, the variation from normal growth is often due to genetic or epigenetic mutation. Sometimes it’s due to variances in light intensity, or damage, but generally the causes are unknown. A monstrous plant may be stable or may have some areas growing normally (depending on clones), and a monstrous plant, may revert to normal growth for no apparent reason. If you have any of the monstrous part producing normal growth, you need to remove the normal growth and leave the monstrous part behind this will need to be done regularly.
Propagation: This plant, like other clonal cultivars, may be only propagated vegetatively by grafting or cuttings. Plants are usually grafted onto column-shaped cacti but proved to be able to produce their own roots if degrafted. Cuttings will take root in a minimum temperature of 20° C (but better in hot weather). Cuttings of healthy shoots can be taken in the spring and summer. Cut the stem with a sharp, sterile knife, leave the cutting in a warm, dry place for a week or weeks (depending on how thick the cutting is) until a callus forms over the wound. Once the callus forms, the cutting may be inserted in a container filled with firmed cactus potting mix topped with a surface layer of coarse grit. They should be placed in the coarse grit only; this prevents the cut end from becoming too wet and allows the roots to penetrate the rich compost underneath. The cuttings should root in 2 to 6 weeks. Large crested piece must be placed on the soil surface without burying the plant base down in the soil.
