Family: Cactaceae
Habitat: South America, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay
Cultivation: Abundant watering but not frequent, a clay soil, slightly acid, a minimum temperature of 6-8 ° C allow these plants to grow well.
Curiosity: The name Frailea comes from the botanist who was involved in its discovery, Mauel Fraile.

FRAILEA

The plants of the genus Frailea are small round cactus, which usually have a diameter of 2-4 cm. In nature they often live next to rocks or disguise themselves among other herbaceous plants. The thorns are small, proportionate to the plant, and vary in color from yellow to brown according to the variety and age of the plant. They grow along the ribs of the stem, which are vertical and not very pronounced. The stem is dark green; often the plants grow next to each other, forming small clumps. The flowers are yellow, rather large compared to the rest of the plant, and they have the characteristic of self-pollinate even if the flower remains closed: in fact we are talking about a cleistogama plant. From a single specimen, therefore, it is always possible to obtain fertile seeds for the reproduction of the plant.

Variety and Types

The world of Frailea is particularly vast; below we present species and varieties cataloged to date.

• Frailea abilavense
• F. alacriportana
• F. alacriportana ssp. feeburgii
• F. alacriportana ssp. itapuensis
• F. alacriportana ssp. longicylindrica
• F. albiareolata
• F. albicolumnaris
• F. albifusca
• F. albispina
• F. alagretassa
• F. alegretana
• F. alexandri
• F. altasensis
• F. amerhauseri
• F. amerhauseri ssp. boliviensis
• F. americana
• F. ampliata
• F. angelensis
• F. angelesii
• F. aquarica
• F. aquatica
• F. arbolita
• F. asperispina
• F. asterioides
• F. asterioides v. albicarpa
• F. asterioides v. arapayensis
• F. asterioides v. backebergii
• F. asterioides v. harmoniana
• F. asterioides fa. harmonianus
• F. aurea
• F. aureinitens
• F. aureispina
• F. aureispina var. aureispina
• F. aureispina var. pallidior
• F. bruchii
• F. bueneckerii
• F. buenekeri
• F. buenekeri ssp. buenekeri
• F. buenekeri ssp. centrispina
• F. buenekeri ssp. densispina
• F. buenekeri ssp. gemmrichii
• F. buenekeri ssp. pygmaeoidea
• F. buiningiana
• F. buiningiana f. gracilispina
• F. caespitosa
• F. calaloi
• F. camaquensis
• F. canaupari
• F. candida
• F. carminifilamentosa
• F. carminifilamentosa f. winkelmanniana
• F. carminifilamentosa ssp. dyntariana
• F. carminifilamentosa ssp. ibicuiensis
• F. carminifilamentosa ssp. itaquiensis
• F. carminifilamentosa ssp. ustinaldensis
• F. carminifilamentosa var. winkelmanniana
• F. castanea
• F. castanea f. albiseta
• F. castanea f. auricantha
• F. castanea f. ferruginea
• F. castanea ssp. castanea
• F. castanea ssp. harmoniana
• F. castanea subvar. spinosior
• F. castanea v. perumbilicata
• F. castaneoidea
• F. catamarca
• F. cataphracta
• F. cataphracta ssp. cataphracta
• F. cataphracta ssp. duchii
• F. cataphracta ssp. matoana
• F. cataphracta ssp. melitae
• F. cataphracta ssp. tuyensis
• F. cataphracta var. cataphracta
• F. cataphracta var. duchii
• F. cataphracta var. noord Concepcion
• F. cataphracta var. tuyensis
• F. cataphractoides
• F. caveraensis
• F. chalolo-i
• F. chiquitana
• F. chrysantha
• F. chrysacantha V. Hrabé
• F. chrysacanthion
• F. colombiana
• F. concepcionensis
• F. crucifica
• F. cupularia
• F. cupularis
• F. curvispina
• F. dadakii
• F. deminuta
• F. densispina
• F. dodoneus
• F. fecotriga
• F. friedrichii
• F. fulviseta
• F. fulvolanata
• F. gardana
• F. gibberula
• F. gigantea
• F. gracillima
• F. gracillima ssp. alacriportana
• F. gracillima fa. lepida
• F. gracillima ssp. albifusca
• F. gracillima ssp. gracillima
• F. gracillima ssp. horstii
• F. gracillima ssp. luteiflora
• F. gracillima v. itapoensis
• F. grahliana
• F. grahliana ssp. cervinciana
• F. grahliana ssp. concepcionensis
• F. grahliana ssp. grahliana
• F. grahliana ssp. moseriana
• F. grahliana ssp. ybatensis
• F. grahliana v. rubrispina
• F. guaibensia
• F. guaibensis
• F. heliosa
• F. hlineckyana
• F. hoffmanniana
• F. horstii
• F. horstii fa. buiningiana
• F. horstii ssp. camaquaensis
• F. horstii ssp. fecotrigensis
• F. horstii ssp. nanus
• F. ignacionensis
• F. insignis
• F. intermedia
• F. itagii
• F. itaquensis
• F. jajoiana
• F. kissiana
• F. klingleriana
• F. kluiachonis
• F. klusacekii
• F. knippeliana
• F. knippeliana var. arzbergeri
• F. kozelskyana
• F. larae
• F. lepida
• F. lepta
• F. lililunula
• F. machadoa
• F. machadoa ssp. gerloffii
• F. machadoa ssp. piratiniensis
• F. machadoa ssp. torinhaensis
• F. magnifica
• F. mammifera
• F. mammifera var. minima
• F. mammifera var. robusta
• F. mammifera ssp. angelesiae
• F. mammifera ssp. mammifera
• F. mammifera ssp. robusta
• F. matoana
• F. melitae
• F. meseta
• F. mesetae
• miguela
• F. moseriana = F. moserana
• F. multiceps
• F. neoaureispina
• F. neoaureispina f. albispina
• F. neogracillima
• F. oreopygmaea ssp. afilarensis
• F. oreopygmaea ssp. gualeguaychuensis
• F. oreopygmaea ssp. pichinangaensis
• F. oreopygmaea v. aurea
• F. oreopygmaea v. bretanhaensis
• F. oreopygmaea v. dadakii
• F. oreopygmaea v. feeburgii
• F. oreopygmaea v. miguela
• F. oreopygmaea v. portoalegretensis
• F. parviflora
• F. perbella0
• F. perumbilicata
• F. perumbilicata var. perumbilicata
• F. perumbilicata var. spinosior
• F. phaeacantha
• F. phaeacantha f. glauca
• F. phaeacantha f. rubrispinus
• F. phaeacantha ssp. cupularia
• F. phaeacantha ssp. heliosa
• F. phaeacantha ssp. treinta
• F. phaeacantha ssp. zapicanensis
• F. phaeoareolata
• F. phaeoareolata ssp. ampliata
• F. phaeoareolata ssp. santaritensis
• F. phaeodisca
• F. pilzii
• F. piratinensis
• F. pseudocataphracta
• F. pseudogracillima
• F. pseudograhliana
• F. pseudopulcherrima
• F. pulcherrima
• F. pullispina
• F. pullispina v. atrispina
• F. pullispina v. centrispina
• F. pullispina v. rectispina
• F. pumila
• F. pumila fa. Aquatica
• F. pumila ssp. albiareolata
• F. pumila ssp. alegretensis
• F. pumila ssp. aquatica
• F. pumila ssp. aurantiaca
• F. pumila ssp. boosiana
• F. pumila ssp. chrysacantha
• F. pumila ssp. colombiana
• F. pumila ssp. concordiaensis
• F. pumila ssp. corrienta
• F. pumila ssp. deminuta
• F. pumila ssp. editha
• F. pumila ssp. hlineckiana
• F. pumila ssp. iguaraica
• F. pumila ssp. jajoiana
• F. pumila ssp. major
• F. pumila ssp. meseta
• F. pumila ssp. multiceps
• F. pumila ssp. necopina
• F. pumila ssp. neoeditha
• F. pumila ssp. pubispina
• F. pumila ssp. pumila
• F. pumila ssp. tenuissima
• F. pumila ssp. uruguayana
• F. pumila var. albisetosa
• F. pumila var. atrofusca
• F. pumila var. aurea
• F. pumila var. catiensis
• F. pumila var. chrysacantha
• F. pumila var. curvispina
• F. pumila var. dadakii
• F. pumila var. maior
• F. pumila var. phaeodisca
• F. pumila var. rubrispina
• F. pumila var. unistalda
• F. pygmaea
• F. pygmaea ssp. albicolumnaris
• F. pygmaea ssp. altigibbera
• F. pygmaea ssp. asperispina
• F. pygmaea ssp. aureinitens
• F. pygmaea ssp. fulviseta
• F. pygmaea ssp. hyssooniana
• F. pygmaea ssp. lilalunula
• F. pygmaea ssp. pygmaea
• F. pygmaea ssp. tuyensi
• F. pygmaea var. aceguaensis
• F. pygmaea var. albispina
• F. pygmaea var. altigibbera
• F. pygmaea var. applanata
• F. pygmaea var. argenta
• F. pygmaea var. atrofusca
• F. pygmaea var. aurea
• F. pygmaea var. auricantha
• F. pygmaea var. bagensis
• F. pygmaea var. brunneo mollispina
• F. pygmaea var. carpinteria
• F. pygmaea var. castaneoidea
• F. pygmaea var. catiensis
• F. pygmeae var. corallima
• F. pygmaea var. corallina
• F. pygmaea var. curvispina
• F. pygmaea var. dadakii
• F. pygmaea var. elegantissima
• F. pygmaea var. gemmrichii
• F. pygmaea v. gloriosa
• F. pygmaea var. grandiflora
• F. pygmaea var. insignia
• F. pygmaea var. krausiana
• F. pygmaea var. largoensis
• F. pygmaea var. lilalunula
• F. pygmaea var. longispina
• F. pygmaea var. maior
• F. pygmaea var. major
• F. pygmaea var. minanensis
• F. pygmaea var. mollispina-brunnea
• F. pygmaea var. montana
• F. pygmaea var. olimarensis
• F. pygmaea var. phaeodisca
• F. pygmaea var. planicosta
• F. pygmaea var. pulcherrima
• F. pygmaea var. sakusiana
• F. pygmaea var. salascana
• F. pygmaea var. salusiana
• F. pygmaea var. santanaensis
• F. pygmaea var. viridilunula
• F. rectispina (KK989)
• F. ritteriana
• F. rubella
• F. rubra
• F. rufida
• F. santaristaensis
• F. schilinzkyana
• F. schilinzkyana forma itacurubi
• F. schilinzkyana ssp. concepcionensis
• F. Pereira, Succulenta
• F. schilinzkyana ssp. schilinzkyana
• F. schlosseri
• F. schuetziana
• F. seideliana
• F. species AA 61
• F. species AH Candiota
• F. species Agua Dulce
• F. species B 32
• F. species Cerrito
• F. species Chololi-i
• F. species de Argentina
• F. species dodoneus
• F. species FS 3
• F. species FS 121
• F. species HN 509
• F. species HU 64
• F. species HU 793
• F. species Islas de las Palmas
• F. species nova LB 3080/VoS 287
• F. species Nueva Italia
• F. species Paraguay
• F. species Parayan
• F. species Portorica
• F. species PR 184
• F. species 692
• F. species Simon
• F. species Uhlig 170
• F. species WR 365
• F. species WRA 274
• F. stockingeri
• F. stockingeri f. griseospina
• F. stockingeri f. viridicastanea
• F. Topador f.
• F. tenuissima
• F. tuiyensis
• F. tunilla
• F. uhligiana
• F. ybatense
• F. zapicana
• F. zapicanensis
• F. zapicanensis v. rubriflora
• F. zapiciore

 TIPS FOR GROWING

The Frailea comes from areas where the rain is abundant but sporadic. The watering will therefore reproduce this trend. Here are other tips for growing:

• The ideal exposure is at half sun: you can locate the plant in a bright position but well repaired, for example, protected by other plants just as it would be in nature.
• Temperatures should remain above 6-8 ° C: a small Frailea does not resist, in fact, to frost.
• Individual watering must be abundant but between one and the other, the ground must be able to dry out completely.
• You can use a standard soil for cacti or a well-draining soil, slightly acidic, rich in clay and sand.
• Fertilize during the growing season, using a specific fertilizer for cacti and half of the recommended dose.
• The plant has a rapid growth but it is still small in size; so there is not necessity to repot.

The Frailea reproduces by seed well; as we have already said each flower produces fertile seeds that can be planted in spring, in sandy and wet bed for germination. Usually the seed take root in few days. However, it is recommended to wait about a year before putting the new seedlings planted.