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A small growing globular cactus from the centre of Argentina. Mine came to ne as A. violaceum which is a lilac flowered
plant that has recently been absorbed into A. spiniflorum. I am therefore expecting it to have lilac flowers,
though the species is usually white or pink. After the great cactus massacre of 1987-90 when the bulk of the collection were wiped out by cold winters and neglect based on the grim realisation that there was little I could do about it, I have been slow to try anything new. The time has perhaps come to dip a (well-protected) finger into the (bone dry) pool of the Cactaceae again. The Llifle encyclopedia says: "Argentina (Catamarca, Córdoba, La Rioja, San Luis, Santiago del Estero). The species has a wide range and is locally abundant. (450-)1,000 to 1,500(-2,400) metres above sea level. The species grows in monte shrubland and chaco, always associated to mountainous soils in areas that have periods of cold in winter. There are no known major threats for this species. There is no known use or trade for this cactus. Acanthocalycium spiniflorum (Echinopsis spiniflora) is usually solitary or slowly branching through basal shoots, it can become an upright cactus with stems that can reach a height of about 15 cm. The spines are arranged neatly in rows down the stem. The showy flowers range from white to pinkish lilac and are about 4 cm across. It is a pretty variable species." |
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| 24th October 2015 | ||