Petr Vodička · CC BY-SA 4.0
About
This species is highly notable for its popular, chlorophyll-lacking mutants, which display vibrant red, orange, or yellow pigmentation. These colored forms are often grafted onto a different cactus base, giving rise to popular hybrid names like 'Moon Cactus' or 'Hibotan'.
Field notes
Morphology
Individually growing plants have a broad-spherical, gray-green, often reddish body, reaching 3 to 5 centimeters in height and diameter. The plant typically has 8 narrow-edged, slightly notched ribs, and is adorned with 5 to 6 weak, pliable, slightly curved thorns that are greyish-yellow, measuring between 0.8 and 1 centimeter. Flowers are bell-shaped to funnel-shaped, measuring 4 to 5 cm long, and range in color from yellowish-olive to light olive green.
Distribution & habitat
Paraguay and northeast Bolivia, at lower elevations up to 500 meters.
Cultivation notes
The potting medium should ensure adequate drainage, preventing the plant from sitting in marshy soil. During summer, frequent watering is needed, though pots may require weekly watering; the compost should be virtually dry before re-watering. Watering is unnecessary in the winter months.
History & etymology
The species was discovered in 1903 by Alberto Vojtěch Frič. The first description of *Echinocactus mihanovichii* was published in 1905 by Robert Louis August Maximilian Gürke, and it was placed in the genus *Gymnocalycium* in 1922 by Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose.
Conservation
Least Concern (LC)
Habitat
- Altitude
- —
- Altitude Class
- —
- Native To
- Argentina
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- easy
Crossed G. Mihanovichii with another species?
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