Origin and Habitat: Brazil (Minas Gerais: Diamantina)

• Uebelmannia pectinifera subs. flavispina (Buining & Bredero) P.J.Braun & Esteves
• Uebelmannia flavispina Buining & Bredero

• Uebelmannia pectinifera Buining
• Uebelmannia pectinifera var. crebispina n.n.
• Uebelmannia pectinifera var. multicostata Buining & Bredero
• Uebelmannia pectinifera var. pseudopectinifera Buining

• Uebelmannia pectinifera subs. flavispina (Buining & Bredero) P.J.Braun & Esteves
• Uebelmannia flavispina Buining & Bredero
• Uebelmannia pectinifera subs. flavispina var. longispina n.n.
• Uebelmannia pectinifera var. longispina n.n.

• Uebelmannia pectinifera subs. horrida (P.J.Braun) P.J.Braun & Esteves
• Uebelmannia horrida (P.J.Braun) Anceschi & Magli
• Uebelmannia pectinifera var. horrida P.J.Braun

Description: Solitary beautiful globular cactus, having green stems with several ribs and closely-spaced areoles.
Stem: Up to 12 cm wide, 35 cm tall, very woolly in the apex. Plants in this genus always show woodiness in the lower stem as they age.
Ribs: 20 to 29 prominent
Areoles: Close set.
Central spines: 1 to 4 up to long 1.5 cm, amber yellow.
Flowers: Yellow and diurnal in late autumn, or spring.
Remarks: The Uebelmannia flavispinaSN|14312]]SN|14314]] and all the other plants belonging to the Uebelmannia pectiniferaSN|14314]]SN|14312]] complex are very variable in habitat, it has three recognized subspecies, but a multitude of different forms exist, where each form is linked to others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
2) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey "The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass" Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
3) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
4) Machado, M., Taylor, N.P. & Braun, P. 2013. Uebelmannia pectinifera. In: IUCN 2013. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species." Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 January 2014.

Cultivation and Propagation: Not easy; it has a large root and lives among rocks. This tropical cactus prefers loves warm, moist, humid conditions, and mist spraying is a must in summer. Water regularly during the growing season and use a very draining mineral potting substrate. At the onset of winter, do not water. Uebelmannias need heat all year round, and extra winter heat; minimum 10°C is best. Avoid any frost. Keep cool in summer. This plant proves to be root prone if kept too cold in winter. To help stop this, a good deep collar of pumice or lava grit is an excellent idea. It prefers a full sun position and possibly afternoon shade in summer. If you can place it so that this occurs, the plant will be much happier.
Propagation: By seeds. Germinating seeds can also be tricky. But plants are often grafted making them easier to grow, particularly through the winter. If possible, using a rootstock that is hardier than the Uebelmannia is the ideal.