Synonyms:

No synonyms are recorded for this name.

Habitat:

E. subdenudata cv. Fuzzy Navel f. mostruosa is a nursery cultivar, namely, it’s been produced in nursery. Monstrous forms don’t exist in nature.
E. subdenudata, instead, which is the species from which the cultivar has been created, is native to northwest Argentinia, Bolivia and Paraguay. In its habitat the plant can be found at an altitude up to 1800 meters above sea level! This species grows in many habitat types, such as grasslands, shrublands, and forests.

Description:

E. subdenudata cv. Fuzzy Navel f. mostruosa is a really rare and odd cacti. It can be found almost only grafted upon other cacti species, to enhance its resistance to adversities. It is a sphaerical cacti, furrowed by deep ribs, and adorned by white, fluffy areas which lie at the top of the sharp protuberances of the irregularly-crested surface of the stem. The overall effect is that of a white, furry coat, mottled upon the stem surface, covering some part of it and leaving some other parts bare, so that the intense green of its colour remains visible in most of the stem. This feature, however, varies according to individual: in each plant, the percentage of the stem surface covered in the white hair is different. In some specimens, the hair covers almost all the stem. E. subdenudata cv. Fuzzy Navel f. mostruosa is, overall, spineless, however, from the fluffy mass of hair, some kind of occasional, untidy bristle come off, like disheveled wisps. Here is some information about the monstruosa varieties: A “Monstruosa” variety is similar to a “Crestata”, but with a much greater loss of symmetry in a cellular growth: here it’s not possible to find a unique apical meristem: there are many cellular growth centers from which cells are produced in many direction. As a result, we can have giants or deformed organs, crested or fan-shaped ones, etc. Although many mechanical causes and environmental factors that contribute to the development of monstrosity, such as extreme temperatures, wounds, infections of pathogenic organisms and genetic mutation, have been identified, they are deemed to be just concauses of this oddity. Possible main causes are genetic casual mutations and hormonal imbalances.

Cultivation:

A peculiarity of monstrous plants is that, given their slightly different appearance than normal individuals, are less adaptable to the originarily ideal environment of their species, so they result to be more sensitive. E. subdenudata cv. Fuzzy Navel f. mostruosa is, in fact, usually found grafted on other plants, to enhance its resistance to adversities. Here below are our tips of cultivation:

E. subdenudata cv. Fuzzy Navel f. mostruosa is a slow growing succulent but quite easy to cultivate. It prefers an exposure to full sun in rather airy locations. Also, keep it at temperatures above 10 °C: it will need to be placed indoors during the Winter. As a substrate, mix a standard soil with pumice, clay and loam to allow the drainage and prevent root rot. We suggest to use clay, porous pots to enhance the drainage. Water regularly from March to November, every 10 days, checking that the soil is completely dry before watering again. In winter, instead, you should suspend irrigation in order to allow to the plant to enter dormancy. They do not need frequent fertilization, it is sufficient to dilute the fertilizer with water during the irrigation once a year. If the pot starts to look too small for the plant you can repot it in one 2 cm wider. Anyway, repotting is rarely necessary (every 3 years is usually sufficient: E. subdenudata cv. Fuzzy Navel f. mostruosa usually stays small. Being grafted onto columnar cacti, it tends to develop only at the head of the cut stem and it usually doesn’t grow in width so much. Repotting should be done usually every 3 years, early in the growing season with fresh new potting soil.

Propagation:

Propagation is usually carried out by grafting or stem cutting. Take off stem cuttings during the Spring. Cut a segment and then let it dry; after a few days the cut surface will dry and a callus will form on the wound. After that, place the cutting in a mixture of sand, soil and pumice. To increase success of propagation you can cut two or more segments at the same time. For cuttings the recommended temperature should stay around 20ºC.

Curiosity:

A “Monstruosa” variety is similar to a “Crestata”, but with a much greater loss of symmetry in a cellular growth: here it’s not possible to find a unique apical meristem: there are many cellular growth centers from which cells are produced in many direction. As a result, we can have giants or deformed organs, crested or fan-shaped ones, etc.
Although many mechanical causes and environmental factors that contribute to the development of monstrosity, such as extreme temperatures, wounds, infections of pathogenic organisms and genetic mutation, have been identified, they are deemed to be just concauses of this oddity. Possible main causes are genetic casual mutations and hormonal imbalances.

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Tips:
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