Synonyms:

Echinopsis backebergii subsp. wrightiana
Lobivia backebergii subsp. wrightiana
Lobivia wrightiana var. brevispina
Neolobivia wrightiana

Habitat:

L. wrightiana is native to Peru where the plant grows in mountains and in sunny exposure and can spread up to 2300 m of altitude.

Description:

L. wrightiana is a dwarf cactus belonging to the Cactaceae botanical family. The cactus has a solitary habit and can reach up to 7 cm in height and 5 cm in diameter. The stem is globose to cylindrical, dull green to greyish in color, arranged in 16-17 ribs made up of small slightly spirals tubercles. The ribs are covered with small, white and woolly areoles bearing the spines. The spines are erect, thin, star-shaped, variable in length and yellowish to brownish in color. The roots are large, turnip-like and have a water storage purpose. Blooming occurs from the spring to the summer and buds are borne on long stalks starting from the ribs. The flowers are funnel-shaped, very showy, lilac to bright pink in color, with a narrow and paler flower tube. The stamens are yellow and short and locater in the center of the flower tube. 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.

Cultivation:

This is a slow growing plant, easy to cultivate and very hardy. The plant needs a full light sun exposure 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 soil should be mixed with pumice, clay and loam to allow the drainage and prevent the root rot, the plant is prone to it indeed. Remember to use a perforating pot to drain excess water. Watering can be done regularly in Spring and Summer: 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. If the pot starts to be too small for the plant you can repot the plant 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.

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www.giromagicactus.com

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