Description
The standard T. lophophoroides is a well known solitary, globose cactus, but the monstrous mutant here described is a completely different looking plan that forms small compact mound up to 10 cm in diameter. It looks like a strange marine creature than a cactus, similar to a dark coral with hundreds of white individual polyps, each polyp only a few millimetres in diameter.
Stems: It is formed by an intricate multitude of small tangled protrusion of soft, rubbery-textured bumps, only a few mm across. The stem is purplish-green, and in full sun take a very dark colouring (almost black)
Areoles: Very small not woolly.
Spines: About 8-10 radially spreading, white, very short (1-2 mm long) that remembering a small star or a white spider.
Flower: Unknown.
Origin and Habitat
Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)
Cultivation and Propagation
It’s a fairly easy cultivar to cultivate plant adapted to a specific type of soil but, but very slow growing. A 10 -30% of natural gypsum could be added to a very well drained soil. Watering should be rather infrequent, but abundant, so that the soil becomes completely soaked. Furthermore it has a swollen juicy root system, and watering it properly is often difficult and rot if over-watered. Keep dry in winter, or when night temperatures remain below 10° C. It is hardy to -4°C for a short period. Assure a good ventilation. Exposures: Full sun where it obtains a natural-looking flat, or part sun. The fact that the plant retracts into the soil and assume a red-brown colouring between watering, is perfectly natural and doesn’t cause any damage.
Reproduction: Grafting or cuttings.
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