Lobivia longispina

Origin: Argentina This is a fiercely spined and quite variable species with spectacular flowers of almost any colour: red, pink, yellow, bicoloured or white. Very large and spiny cactus, solitary or branched. The body is almost concealed by the spines. Stem: Bluish-green, spherical at first and later sort cylindrical, and may grow 25 cm tall and 10-40 cm in diameter. Ribs: 25 to 50 ribs deeply incised between the tubercles, which are approx. 2 cm long. Spines: Radials are hard to tell from the central spines. Each areole bears approx 4 to 15 spines ranging from slender to thick, conical with a wider base, and irregular in length, the longest up to 8 cm or more. They are flexible and curved upward, and those on new parts of the plant have occasionally a hooked tip. Their colour varies from yellowish to brown when young but later grey. Flowers: Lateral or basal, 7-10 cm. long, funnel-shaped, and have a slender, curved tube covered with long white hairs. Perianth segments are short white but can be of almost any colour. Fruit: Globular, dark green with flowers remnants. Cultivation: It is a summer grower species that offers no cultivation difficulties. Water regularly in summer (but do not overwater) needs good drainage and very porous, keep rather dry in winter. Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer. It is quite frost resistant if kept dry (hardy to -12° C) Need a very bright exposure, full sun is indispensable to keep plant compact with strong spines. Some of the information in this description has been found at desert-tropicals.com, llifle.com and cactus-art.biz