Synonyms:

No synonyms are recorded for this name.

Habitat:

 Echidnopsis sharpei is native to Africa, where it is widespread in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. It thrives in semi-arid habitats, at an altitude range of 100 to 300 meters above the sea level.

Description:

Echidnopsis sharpei is a dwarf, perennial succulent made of a clump of finger-like, slender stems that are capable to root all along their length, forming maps. The stems are finger-shaped, up to 15 centimeters in length, rather slender (around 15 millimeters thick), divided into hexagonal tubercles, very regular, geometrical, and not so prominent. At the top of each tubercle there is a white spot, provided with a short spine-like protuberance, reminding the areolea and the spines of a cacti.
Flowers are very flashy and decorative. They sprout in groups of 1 or 2, below the tip of the stems, in a lateral position. They are dark, deep red, with their petals fused alltogether in one, star-shaped corolla and their lobes pointed in pale yellow. The central part of the flower, instead, shows a warm, brighter yellow colour.

Cultivation:

Echidnopsis sharpei is not difficult to grow. Here below are our tips:

Echidnopsis usually require plenty of light during the year. E. sharpei, in particular, prefers filtered sunlight or partial shade.
Keep your Echidnopsis sharpei at a temperature above 5 °C. Place it indoors during the winter.
Water moderately, always waiting for the soil to dry up completely before every irrigation0. It is sufficient to water once a week in spring and summer, once every two months in autumn, and to suspend completely any irrigation in winter. In the case of hot weather, this species enjoys plenty of water, always letting the soil dry up first.
The ideal soil is well-draining and porous, better if further enriched with 50% or more of inert materials such as pumice, lapilli or clay. A cactus mix will be okay, also because this species shows a particularly shallow root system.
Fertilize once a year during the growing season with a specific fertilizer for succulents, low in Nitrogen and rich in Phosphorus and Potassium, diluting it in water at half the doses recommended on the label.
Echidnopsis sharpei is a slow-growing species and, thus, it’s sufficient to repot it every two years.

Propagation:

Propagation of Echidnopsis is usually carried out through seeds to be sown in Spring in a sandy substrate, or through stem cuttings, as Echidnopsis’s stems easily put root when planted. The cut stem should be allowed to dry up for a day before being planted. Lie it (without burying it) on the substrate, that should be maintained moist until the cutting puts roots.

Curiosity:

The genus name, “Echidnopsis”, comes from Greek and literally means “with the appearance of a snake”, referring to its stems which, in most species, crawl on the ground and give to the entire plant a creeping habit.

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

Tips:
Read our advice