Accepted Scientific Name: Echinopsis ancistrophora Speg.
Anales Mus. Nac. Buenos Aires ser. 3, 4: 492. 1905
Echinopsis subdenudata Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
This Echinopsis is almost spineless or with very short cream spines and produces gorgeous, night-blooming, white fragrant flowers up to 22 cm long.
Origin and Habitat: Bolivia (Santa Cruz, Tarija, Chuquisaca) and (maybe) Paraguay.
Altitude: 600-1800 metres above sea level.
Habitat: This species grows in many habitat types, such as grasslands, shrublands, and forests. The major threats to this species are urbanization, agriculture and extraction for ornamental use.
Synonyms:
See all synonyms of Echinopsis ancistrophora
Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Night-blooming Hedge-hog, Easter Lily Cactus
LITHUANIAN (Lietuvių): Plikasis echinopsis
Description: Echinopsis subdenudataSN|1041]]SN|17377]] is a globular, almost spineless or with very short cream spines that produces splendid night-blooming, white fragrant flowers up to 22 cm long. It is generally included within (as a synonym of) Echinopsis ancistrophoraSN|1041]]SN|1041]], suggesting that there is not really a fundamental difference between the two. The key difference by which this species was separated, namely: its much shorter spines (less than 2 mm long) almost concealed among the felt of the areoles appears to fall within the natural variation of Echinopsis ancistrophoraSN|1041]]SN|1041]] and it should be synonymized with the latter. It is at most a race of Echinopsis ancistrophoraSN|17377]]SN|1041]], but it still has a value for a collector because they identify plants with particular characters.
Stem: Solitary or offsetting from near the base, globose, grey-green, depressed apically, 5-8 cm tall, 7-12 cm in diameter (often elongate and up to 30 cm high in cultivation)
Ribs: 8 to 12, very acute, slightly notched.
Areoles: Small, cream coloured, transversely elliptical, to 1.5 cm apart.
Spines:Almost spineless or with very short cream or greyish brown spines, often hidden by areolar wool. Central spine one, directed upward, to 2 mm long. Radial spines 3-7, swollen
basally, to 1.5 mm long.
Flowers: These cacti produce gorgeous, night-blooming flowers borne near the stem tips. They are fragrant, white (or very light pink), narrow funnel-shaped, with long, slightly curved tubes 15-22 cm long. Old plant may have many flowers at a time.
Blooming season: This species blooms from late spring to all summer long, the flowers open on the morning of the first day and remain opened all the night long but last only one day in full beauty, at the second day they start to wither.
More...Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Echinopsis ancistrophora group
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
2) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
3) 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
Echinopsis subdenudata Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
Echinopsis subdenudata Photo by: Diego Armentano
Echinopsis subdenudata Photo by: Frikkie Hall
Echinopsis subdenudata Photo by: Cactus Art
Echinopsis subdenudata Photo by: Frikkie Hall
Echinopsis subdenudata Photo by: Cactus Art
Echinopsis subdenudata Photo by: Frikkie Hall
Echinopsis subdenudata Photo by: Frikkie HallCultivation and Propagation: The Easter Lily cactus is a summer grower species that offers no cultivation difficulties. Water regularly in summer (but do not overwater ) needs good drainage and very porous soil, keep rather dry in winter. Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer. It is quite frost resistant if kept dry (hardy to -7° C). Need a bright exposure, full sun or half shade in summer.
Propagation: Direct sow after last frost, offsets.
Your Photos
by Valentino Vallicelli
by Diego Armentano
by Cactus Art
by Cactus Art
