Synonyms:

Sulcorebutia cardenasiana
Weingartia cardenasiana
Sulcorebutia vargasii
Sulcorebutia vargasii var. viridissima
Weingartia langeri
Weingartia vargasii
Weingartia vargasii var. viridissima

Habitat:

Sulcorebutia langeri is native to Bolivia, where the plant thrives on sandstone hills at altitudes over 2000 meters. The plant grows in arid climates with cool temperatures and can withstand to dry periods. Thanks to its white spines it can prevent scorching caused by the intense solar radiation at high altitudes.

Description:

Sulcorebutia langeri is a small globular cactus belonging to the Cactaceae botanical family. The plant is solitary and sometimes clustering. The small dark green stem can reach up to 8 cm in height and 5 cm in diameter. Sulcorebutia has small bumps, known as tubercles, instead of ribs. The spines are held on an areole at the tip of each tubercle. The spines are 21-25 for areole and are curved, pectinate, white, thick and finely hairy. Covering the stem with white spines is a common strategy between cactus and succulents to survive to drought period and prevent scorching by ultraviolet radiation. The blooming occurs from the early spring to the late summer, depending on growing conditions, and the flowers are born at the base of the plant. The flowers are funnel-shaped, 3-4 cm large and can range the color from shiny yellow to vibrant magenta. After blooming the plant produces small, brown seeds with pink scales.

Cultivation:

This is a slow growing plant, easy to cultivate. The plant benefits from a bright light exposure but is recommended to avoid direct sun-light during 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 in equal parts with soil potting compost, sharp sand and pumice to allow for drainage and prevent root rot, as the plant is prone to it. Remember to use a perforated 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 and ensure the pant has night temperature of 5-10 C° to encourage flowering inspring. If you want a faster and lusher growth, you can fertilize the plant once a month during the growing season with specific fertilizers for succulents; stop fertilizing throughout the autumn and winter. If the pot becomes too small for the plant, you can repot it in a pot that is 2 cm wider. Repotting should be done every 2 years early in the growing season with fresh new compost. Be careful to red spider mite and mealybugs. For mealybugs, you can remove them with a paintbrush dipped in alcohol, or if large numbers are present, you may use an insecticide.

Propagation:

Propagation can be done by cutting or by seed. When propagating through cuttings, 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. 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 to maintain temperatures around 20°C. Propagation by seed is a simple method to propagate the plant. Simply sow the seeds in sandy loam soil and keep them in an environment with a high level of humidity and at a temperature of 14°C.

Curiosity:

Sulcorebutia, along with other types of cactaceae, has recently been aggregated into the Rebutia genus. The genus name come from the Latin word “sulcus” that means furrows and refers to the numerous ribs. The specific epithet is a tribute the Andrew Langer, a collector and cactus enthusiast who discovered the plant near Vallegrande, in Bolivia.

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