Synonyms:

• Discocactus lindaianus
• Discocactus spinosior
• Discocactus prominentigibbus
• Malacocarpus heptacanthus
• Neodiscocactus heptacanthus

Habitat:

-It is native of some regions of Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil.

Description:

-Discocactus heptacanthus is a flattened cactus that form a white cephalium at maturity: the plants bloom in summer and the flower is pollinated by moths. The light green to grey stem is globose, solitary, with 10-22 ribs. The spines are white, yellowish-brown, needle-like or flattened; the plant can occasionally have a central spine. The flowers are nocturnal, white to pale pink, as well as the fruits.

Cultivation:

-As other Discocactus, D. heptacanthus is not an easy plant to grow: it necessitates milder temperatures and abundant waterings than other cacti. It is slow growing. Use very porous standard cactus mix soil, avoiding substrata rich in limestone. Repotting is not recommended as the plant can take a long time to establish. Fertilise the plant with a hight potassium fertilizer in summer. It prefers filtered sunlight or afternoon shade, but inside it needs direct sun (or bright light), but always remember: no full sun for young plants. Avoide watering too much the plant during the cold season (too much water will rot it). It can’t stand the cold, it should be kept at above 15° if not grafted.

Propagation:

-Propagation is done by seeds or grafting.

Curiosity:

-“Heptacanthus” means “seven spines”, but the actual number of the spines can varies from 5 to 11.