Publication: Succulenta (Netherlands) 74: 135. 1995
Description
Uebelmannia pectinifera ssp. horrida is a solitary cactus 50- 100 cm tall.
Stem: Up to 18 cm wide, although usually globular or slightly elongated in cultivation, it is reported to grow to as much as 100 cm tall. It is greener than the type reddish-green to brownish-green, with off-white scales. (In cultivation the colour of the plants depends on sun exposure, the plants grown in shadow are green with white stripes, while the ones in full sun take on a purple colour)
Ribs: 23 to 40, acute, vertical and prominent.
Areoles: Set closely and nearly confluent to form an almost continuous grey to brownish felt-like line down the ribs’ sides.
Central spines: Dark brown/grey, 1 to 4, up to 1.5(-2) cm long; the spines are close set, neatly arranged, straight, often interlacing, but are
Radial spines: Absent.
Flowers: Diurnal, funnel-shaped greenish yellow. They are 15 mm long, 12 mm in diameter.
Blooming season: Flowers come sporadically from Early spring to Late Summer.
Fruit: pear shaped to cylindrical violet-red 1,5-2,5 cm long.
Remarks: The Uebelmannia pectinifera ssp. horrida and all the other plants belonging to the Uebelmannia pectinifera complex are very variable in habitat, it has three recognized subspecies, but a multitude of different forms exist, where each form is linked to others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics.
Origin and Habitat
Brazil, Southern America. (Mountains of Minas Gerais: Serra do Espihaço)
Habitat: The plants are found growing in dry savanna and rocky areas in rock cracks or in pockets or small flat areas of organic leaf mould and sand found among rocks at about 1000m altitude. It is threatened by habitat loss.Uebelmannia pectiniferaa and its subspecies are more common in collections than they are in habitat.
Cultivation and Propagation
This tropical cactus loves warm moist, humid conditions and mist spraying is a must in summer. Water regularly during the growing season and use a very draining mineral potting substrate. At the onset of winter, do not water. Uebelmannias need heat all year round and extra winter heat, minimum 10C is best. Avoid any frost. Keep cool in summer. This plant prove to be root prone if kept too cold in winter. To help stop this, a good deep collar of pumice or lava grit is an excellent idea. It prefers a position in full sun, and possibly afternoon shade in summer. If you can place it so that this occurs, the plant will be much happier.
Propagation: Seeds, but plants are often grafted, making them easier to grow, particularly through the winter. If possible using a rootstock that is more hardy than the Uebelmannia is ideal.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
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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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Machado, M., Taylor, N.P. & Braun, P. 2013. Uebelmannia pectinifera. In: IUCN 2013. “IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.” Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 January 2014.
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