Publication: Cactaceae Consensus Init. 5: 14. 1998
Description
Thelocactus tulensis subsp. matudae is a globular cactus closely related to Thelocactus tulensis subsp. buekii, but with distinctive longer tubercles, higher spine number and larger flowers. Both taxa are subspecies of the very variable polymorphic Thelocactus tulensis which comprises innumerable geographical forms linked one to each others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics. Such variations has led to establishment of several unnecessary names for this species.
Habit: Thelocactus tulensis subsp. matudae is a solitary geophyte stem succulent.
Stem: Depressed to globose 5-22 cm tall,11-16 in diameter, glaucous green to dark brown or magenta.
Ribs: Indistinct and completely divided into tubercles.
Tubercles: Broad, 1,5-3 cm long, conical more or less angular in cross section.
Areoles: 2-9 mm long, 2-6 mm wide, 12-35 mm apart, with partially developed grooves,
without extrafloral nectaries.
Central spines: 3 to 7 grey to reddish vertical and stright, up to 2 cm.
Radial spines: 7 to 12 radiatimg..
Root system: Fat underground tap root.
Flowers: Diurnal Bright purplish-pink to purple, up to 8 cm wide
Blooming season: Early summer.
Origin and Habitat
Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
Altitude: 800-1000 metres above sea level.
Habitat: It grows on gypsum soils. Various cacti and succulents such as Mammillaria candida, Mammillaria pilispina, Agave lechuguilla, Neolloydia conoidea, Agave stricta, Yucca filifera, Dasylirion texanum grows nearby.
Cultivation and Propagation
Thelocactus tulensis subsp. matudae 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.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
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Edward F. Anderson, Salvador Arias Montes, Nigel P. Taylor, Andrea Cattabriga “Threatened cacti of Mexico” Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1994
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Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
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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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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,
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Curt Backeberg: “Die Cactaceae: Handbuch der Kakteenkunde” Volume V, Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart New York 1982–1985
From llifle page Thelocactus matudae f. variegatus
Description
Thelocactus tulensis subsp. matudae is a globular cactus with distinctive long tubercles and large purple flowers. The variegated form Thelocactus tulensis subs. matudae f. variegatus has sectors, patches or stripes with distinct shades of yellow or orange. All variegates are mutants. Something has gone wrong with the cellular structure of the growth tip (apical meristem) of the plant. As a result of this mutation, chlorophyll is missing from some or all layers of the plant epidermis. The odd variegate appears in many seedling batches in a small percentage (especially among hybrid seeds) and are generally separated from normal plants. Variegated plants grow slower and are generally smaller than non-variegates of the same species. Coloured areas are also generally weaker, and more susceptible to fungus, sunburn and other defects. A large well grown variegate Thelocactus is truly an achievement. These are harder to grow well than they appear. Plants with variegated stems are often attractive and highly prized.
Habit: Thelocactus tulensis subsp. matudae is a solitary geophyte stem succulent.
Stem: Glaucous green to dark brown or magenta with yellow or orange, depressed to globose 5-22 cm tall,11-16 in diameter.
Ribs: Indistinct and completely divided into tubercles.
Tubercles: Broad, 1,5-3 cm long, conical more or less angular in cross section.
Areoles: 2-9 mm long, 2-6 mm wide, 12-35 mm apart, with partially developed grooves,
without extrafloral nectaries.
Central spines: 3 to 7 grey to reddish vertical and stright, up to 2 cm.
Radial spines: 7 to 12 radiatimg..
Root system: Fat underground tap root.
Flowers: Diurnal Bright purplish-pink to purple, up to 8 cm wide
Blooming season: Early summer.
Origin and Habitat
Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)
Cultivation and Propagation
Variegated cacti are regarded as choice and difficult in cultivation, but despite that many of them are relatively easy to grow. But be aware that they cannot tolerate prolonged exposure to direct sun light (especially during the hottest summer days), so grow them in half-shade or under filtered sun. They are sometime seen as grafted plants, but some of this colourful plants (those with some chlorophyll) are able to grow on their own roots and are priced by collectors.
Soil: Use mineral well-permeable substratum with little organic matter (peat, humus).
Watering: Water sparingly from March till October, and keep perfectly dry in winter, at temperatures from 5 to 15 degrees centigrade. (In general these plants are more tender and cannot endure freezing temperatures). In the rest period no high atmospheric humidity!!
Propagation: By seeds, grafting or cutting. Because the variegation is due to the presence of two kinds of plant tissue, propagating the plant must be by a vegetative method of propagation that preserves both types of tissue in relation to each other. A most common way way to cultivate this partially de-coloured cultivars is to graft them onto another cactus which has chlorophyll and which will provide sugar to the mutant scion. The chlorophyll containing bottom part of the graft, called the stock, can be any number of different columnar cactus species.
Remarks: Seeds from variegated parents often give raise to some variegated seedlings too.
Source: Thelocactus matudae f. variegatus, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
