Synonyms:

Echinopsis backebergii subsp. backebergii
Cinnabarinea boedekeriana
Echinopsis boedekeriana
Lobivia backebergiana
Lobivia backebergii var. oxyalabastra
Lobivia backebergii var. winteriana
Lobivia backebergii var. zecheri
Lobivia boedekeriana
Lobivia fungiflora
Lobivia hertrichiana f. divaricata
Lobivia oxyalabastra
Lobivia pugionacantha var. boedekeriana
Lobivia wrightiana var. winteriana
Neolobivia divaricata
Neolobivia winteriana

Habitat:

Lobivia winteriana is native to Bolivia and Peru, the cultivar Flourescent has garden origin.

Description:

Lobivia winteriana is a small cactus belonging to the Cactaceae botanical family. The cactus can be solitary or can branching from the base forming mats, it is very reduced in size and can reach up to 7 cm in diameter. The stem is globose to cylindrical, dull green to greyish in color, arranged in 13-19 ribs made up of small slightly spirals tubercles. The ribs are covered with small, white and woolly areoles bearing the spines. The 6-14 radial spines are short, thin, curved backward, spider-like, pale brown to yellowish in color. The central spines are brown and slightly curved towards the apex. The roots are large, carrot-like and have a water storage purpose. Blooming occurs from the spring to the summer and the buds are borne on long stalks starting from the ribs. The flowers are funnel-shaped, very showy, shiny fuchsia to bright pink in color, with a narrow and bright white throat. The stamens are yellow and short and located in the center of the throat. The flowers last for four days and the blooming is diurnal and favoured by periods of cold during vegetative rest. The cactus is very similar to the Echinopsis genus but it slightly differs for the diurnal flowering and for the size and the shape of the flowers. The fruits are tannish-green to brownish containing tiny black seeds. The high contrast between the purple violet petals and the white throat gives this plant a high ornamental value, making it perfect to decorate your home and office or like a gift.

Cultivation:

This is a slow growing plant, easy to cultivate. The best sun-exposure is in bright place but is recommended to avoid direct sun-light in the hottest periods. The plant does not like temperatures below 5°C so it needs to be placed indoors in the coldest periods. The perfect soil is a well-drained soil that let the water to drain away and avoid root rot. To achieve this feature, you can mix the pumice soil, clay and soil. Remember to use a perforating pot to drain excess water. Watering is very important for this species and should be done well: during the vegetative period you can water the plant (every 7 days), checking that the soil is completely dry before watering again; in winter you should stop the watering to allow the plant to enter dormancy. If you want a faster and lush growth you can fertilize the plant once a month during the growing season with the specific fertilizers for succulents; stop fertilizing throughout the winter. You should repot the plant every 2 years in a pot 2 cm wider. Repotting should be done early in the growing season with fresh new potting soil. Be careful to red spiders and mealy bugs.

Propagation:

Propagation can be done by cutting or by seed. By cutting you can make the cut during the spring and then let the cutting dry; after a few days the cut surface will dry and a callus will form, then place the cutting in a mixture of sand, soil and pumice. To increase the success of propagation you can make two or more cuttings at the same time. For cuttings it is recommended temperatures around 20 °C. By seed it is very simple to propagate the plant, it is enough to sow the seed in a sandy loam soil and keep it with a high level of humidity and at temperature of 14 C°.

Curiosity:

The name of this genus was obtained by anagramming the word Bolivia, the state from which most of this species comes from. Today it is considered part of the vast Echinopsis genus.

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

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