Synonyms:

The name “Abromeitiella brevifolia” is actually a synonym of “Deuterocohnia brevifolia”. Other synonyms are:

Dyckia grisebachii
Lindmania brevifolia
Meziothamnus brevifolius
Navia brevifolia
Pitcairnia brevifolia

Habitat:

Abromeitiella brevifolia is native to Argentina and Bolivia, where it gros on rocky outcroops and more or less steep slopes, in arid climates, at a wide range of altitudes. This species, with its ground-covering attitude, performs an erosion-prevention function. Its native climate is so arid that we can say that this plant receives water only twice a year! It is in fact able to exploit the air humidity to satisfy its necessities.

Description:

Abromeitiella brevifolia is a dwarf succulent, growing at ground level and spreading in all directions. It consists in a group of numerous, 3 to 5 centimeters wide rosettes, that forms ground-covering maps up to 2 meters in diameter. The single rosettes are star-shaped and made up of lanceolate to triangular, fleshy leaves, silvery grey-greenish, slightly pointed but though harmless. By the way, better not to sit on them! Though the maps look like soft cushions, leaves are pointed, and they aren’t exactly confortable. Under more humid condition, leaves turn greener. They are 2-3 centimeters in length and 1.4 in width. In the subspecies “chlorantha”, leaves edges are spiny: in the regular form, spines are instead absent. Flowers are 3-4 centimeters long, greenish, not so flashy. This plant is in fact mainly appreciated for its ground-covering attitude, that makes it perfect for rocky gardens or either wide pots.

Cultivation:

Abromeitiella brevifolia is not so difficult to grow. Here below are our cultivation tips:

Put your Abromeitiella brevifolia in a bright spot: it tolerates well direct sunlight, being from a very arid, hot climate area;
All Abromeitiellas are really cold resistant: they can bear temperatures until -7ºC. However, they can’t stand water on their foliage, especially in Winter: this make the cultivation outdoors hard to realize.By the way, if you live in a climate with not too frequent winter rainfall;
Water your Abromeitiella brevifolia regularly during the Summer and keep it dry in Winter. While watering, pay attention not to wet the leaves: this plant hate it especially in cold weathers;
Use a well drained substrate: a cactus mix is the better option.
All Abromeitiellas are generally slow-growing plant, but they form maps, so they need space to develop. We advise to repot at least once a year, or anytime you notice that the plant outgrows its pot.

Propagation:

Propagation is generally made through cuttings of the rosettes, more rarely though seeds. The easiest way is to separate one of the rosettes from the mound and replanting it nearby.

Curiosity:

The name “Abrometiella” is actually outdated: modern DNA tests showed that these plants actually belong to another genus, Deuterocohnia, but the name “Abromeitiella” is still used. Deuterocohnia brevifolia has been described for the first time by August Heinrich Rudolf Grisebach. It was Michael A. Spencer and Lyman Bradford Smith, however, who reclassified it into todays valid botanical systematics, reclassifing it into the genus “Deuterocohnia” in 1992.

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

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