Origin and Habitat: Echinopsis rhodotrichaSN|21017]]SN|21017]] var. brevispina dwells in Chaco, West of Asunción, Central, Boquerón, and Concepción departments, Paraguay (Southern South America).
Altitude range: This species grows at low altitudes (around 70-100 metres above sea level)

• Echinopsis rhodotricha var. brevispina F.Ritter

• Echinopsis rhodotricha K.Schum.
• Echinopsis forbesii A.Dietr.
• Echinocactus forbesii Lehm.
• Echinopsis pentlandii var. forbesii (A.Dietr.) Hildm.
• Echinopsis valida var. forbesii Rud.Mey.
• Lobivia pentlandii var. forbesii (A.Dietr.) Y.Itô ex Backeb.
• Echinopsis rhodotricha var. argentinensis Rud.Mey.
• Echinopsis rhodotricha var. brevispina F.Ritter
• Echinopsis rhodotricha var. robusta Rud.Mey.
• Echinopsis rhodotricha var. roseiflora K.Schum.
• Echinopsis spegazzinii K.Schum. ex Speg.
• Echinopsis valida Monv. ex Salm-Dyck
• Cereus validissimus F.A.C.Weber
• Trichocereus validus (Monv. ex Salm-Dyck) Backeb.

• Echinopsis rhodotricha subs. chacoana (Schütz) P.J.Braun & Esteves
• Echinopsis chacoana Schütz
• Echinopsis rhodotricha var. chacoana (Schütz) F.Ritter
• Echinopsis rhodotricha var. spinosior (F.Ritter) F.Ritter
• Echinopsis chacoana var. spinosior F.Ritter

Description: Echinopsis rhodotrichaSN|21017]]SN|21017]] var. brevispina is a globular or shortly columnar species that produces splendid white trumpet-shaped flowers with long brown-woolly tube. The key difference by which this variety was separated, namely the presence of shorter stems less than 40 cm tall, and smaller areoles bearing fewer (2-8) and shorter spines only 4-15 mm long, seems entirely spurious, and appears to fall within the natural variation of Echinopsis rhodotrichaSN|21017]]SN|21017]] and it should be synonymized with the latter. It is at most a race of Echinopsis rhodotrichaSN|21017]]SN|21017]], but it still has a value for a collector because they identify plants with particular characters.
The following description is based on Echinopsis rhodotrichaSN|21017]]SN|21017]] var. brevispina F.Ritter 1979 (Collector's number referred here is FR 1205 West of Asunción, Chaco-i, Puente Hayes, Paraguay ).
Stems: Elongated 30-40 cm tall (up to 1.5 metres tall in var. rhodotricha)
Ribs: Vertical, very acute, crenate (clearly notched) 20-30 mm hight.
Areoles: 3-7 mm long, sunk in the ribs and bearing less felt.
Radilal spines: 2-8, subulate, 4-15 mm long (30-30 mm long in var. rhodotricha)
Central spine: Absent or 1, rarely 2-3, 10-20 mm long (10-50 mm long in var. rhodotricha).
Fruits: Red, with white woolly hair (hairs brownish-red in var. rhodotricha).
Seeds: Without striking differences.

Bibliography: Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Friedrich Ritter “Kakteen in Südamerika - Ergebnisse meiner 20jährigen Feldforschungen: Brasilien / Uruguay / Paraguay”, Volume 1 Selbstverl., 1979

Cultivation and Propagation: Echinopsis rhodotrichaSN|21017]]SN|21017]] var. brevispina is a summer grower species that offers no cultivation difficulties. Water regularly in summer (but do not overwater ) needs good drainage and very porous soil, keep rather dry in winter. Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer. It is quite frost resistant if kept dry (hardy to -7° C). Need a bright exposure, full sun or half shade in summer.
Propagation: Direct sow after last frost, offsets.