Synonyms:

This name is a synonym of Echinocactus cumingii. Being a very variable species in its morphology, it has been given many names. Here below are other synonyms:

Lobivia cumingii
Rebutia neocumingii
Rebutia neocumingii subsp. saipinensis
Weingartia brachygraphisa
Weingartia buiningiana
Weingartia corroana
Weingartia erinacea
Weingartia hediniana
Weingartia knizei
Weingartia mairanana
Weingartia mataralensis
Weingartia multispina
Weingartia neocumingii var. mairanensis
Weingartia pulquinensis
Weingartia pulquinensis var. corroanus
Weingartia pulquinensis var. mairanensis
Weingartia saipinensis
Weingartia trollii

Habitat:

Weingartia neocumingii is native to the Bolivian Andes, where it grows at altitudes from 1400 to 3000 meters above the sea level. Its habitat are dry valleys and plateaus, where it grows on rocky outcrops.

Description:

Weingartia neocumingii is a very variable, dwarf cacti, appreciated by collectors for its small size and glowing blossoming made of tiny, crowded yellow flowers arranged in a crown at the top of its stem. It consists usually in a solitary stem that reach a maximum height of 20 centimeters a diameter of 10, cylindrical to globose-oval, bright green. It has no evident ribs, but shows these fat, nipple-shaped tubercles, that get more crowded at the apex of the stem. At the top of the tubercles there are white, button-shaped, glabrous, elongated and prominent areoles. Areoles, in botany, are the typical buds of the family Cactaceae, able to differentiate the spines. In Weingartia neocumingii, spines are off-white to brownish-orange or yellowish, arranged in 2 to 8 central spines, usually more whitish and up to 2 centimeters long, and 5 to 24 radial ones, up to 1 centimeter long, yellowish with a brown tip. The distinction between radial and central spines, however, is not is not as noticeable as in other cacti. In early Summer, blossoming begins: flowers are formed all along the body of the plant, becoming particularly crowded at the top of the stem. Each areole is capable to produce up to three flowers. Flowers are brigt-yellow, funnel-shaped, with a scaled calyx made of orange-reddish sepals. They remain open for 4-5 days.

Cultivation:

Weingartia is not difficult to cultivate, though it has a slow growing rate. Here below are our tips:

It requires full sun. Put in a bright spot, as direct sunlight will enhance a healthy spine production.
It can survive short frost, if kept completely dry: down to -4ºC. Nevertheless, in cultivation conditions, we advise to keep it above 5ºC.
Provide this cacti with a good ventilation: it does not enjoy stagnant air and humidity, being native to high mountain habitats.
Water regularly during the growth season, waiting for the soil to dry up completely before each irrigation. In Winter, keep dry and cool to avoid root rot, and also to provide the plant with a resting period, that ensures a healthy blossoming and spines formation.
Choose a well-draining substrate: a suubstrate specifically created for cacti will do good.
Fertilize once a year, during the growing season, with a product specific for succulents, high in Potassium and Phosphorus and low in Nitrogen, diluting it in water at half the doses recommended on the label.
Repot regularly, mainly to be able to provide the roots with fresh soil and to enhance stems production and blossoming. Repot in late Winter, once a year until the plant reaches 10 centimeters in height and once every two-three years after that. Avoid watering during the two weeks immediately following the transplant. Choose shallow pots to host its fibrous root system.

Propagation:

Propagation is carried out through seeds. Sow in sandy soil during the spring and cover them with a fine layer of grit. Maintain the soil moist and cover the pot with a sheet made of plastic or glass to create a kind of a greenhouse effect to maintain the seed warmer and moist. In two weeks, almost all seeds should have started to germinate: start to spray them with nebulized water: every day at the beginning and every 2-3 days after a few days.

Curiosity:

Weingartias have many similarities with the genera Rebutia and Browningia, so that the classification of these plants varies according to the relative scholar consistently.

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www.giromagicactus.com

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