Origin and Habitat: Garden origin (Nursery produced hybrid)

• Ariocarpus hybrid retusus x fissuratus hort.

Description: It is a small slow growing cactus obtained by crossing ♀ Ariocarpus retususSN|2114]]SN|2079]] x ♂ Ariocarpus fissuratusSN|2079]]SN|2114]]. The superb features of this rare plant are due to the intersection between the traits of the ancestors. It has inherited by Ariocarpus retususSN|2114]]SN|2079]] the triangular tubercles and by Ariocarpus fissuratusSN|2079]]SN|2114]] the papillate, fissured surface. The flower are also very beautiful. This hybrid is very variable and differences among specimens may be considerable.
Habit: It is a geophyte plant that produces a small star-shaped rosette of rough fleshy tubercles.
Stem: Subglobose, flattened on top, 3-6 cm high, rising barely above ground level, that grows extremely slowly, to 10-15 (or more) cm in diameter. The stem is usually solitary, rarely giving rise to side shoots from old areoles.
Tubercles: Greenish-brown, greyish-green, yellowish-green or olive-green, triangular in outline, acute at the apexes, deltate in cross section, flattened adaxially, or becoming slightly concave at maturity, irregularly papillose sometime forming one or two lateral furrows, usually as long as wide. (to 3-4 cm long), and with the edges acute.
Areoles: Apical or sub-apical, rounded, 1-5 mm in diameter on adaxial tubercle faces, rounded to more or less elliptic or linear, 2-5 mm diameter, woolly.
Spines: It have no spines.
Roots: Each plant has a large turnip-like taproot, which lies below the soil surface and serves for water storage.
Flowers: These plants have a woolly crown, from which emerge bright pink-violet flowers up to 5 cm in diameter, 2 times wider than long when fully expanded. Flowers last for 3 to 4 days.
Blooming season: October, November.
Fruits: Not seen.

Cultivation and Propagation: It’s a relatively easy species to cultivate, but very slow growing. Needs a very well drained soil. Requires strong sun to part sun to develop good spinal growth and waterings should be rather infrequent, to keep the plant compact and not become excessively elongated and unnatural in appearance. Keep dry in winter, or when night temperatures remain below 10° C (but some people give this plant a light monthly watering to prevent the drying and shedding of the lower tubercles.) it is hardy to -4°C for a short period. Assure a good ventilation.
Propagation: It can be reproduced by seeds. Young seedlings are tiny and they need several years to reach adult size, and require very careful watering. Many growers graft tiny 2-3 month seedlings and they grow on very successfully that way.