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= Eriosyce napina var. mitis (Phil.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
Cact. Succ. J. Gr. Brit. 28: 57. 1966
Accepted Scientific Name: Eriosyce napina (Phil.) Katt.
Eriosyce (Cactac.) gen. revis. & ampl. (Succ. Pl. Res., 1) 118 (1994)
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Origin and Habitat: Atacama desert, coastal Chile (Region III Atacama)
Habitat: Eriosyce napinaSN|2370]]SN|2370]] grows in one of the most arid areas in the world, among rocky crags and sand dunes in sandy-clayey soil in a vegetable formation called “Costal desert of Huasco,” a typical “desertic mattoral” that is just spectacular and impressive when it displays the phenomenon of the “flowering desert”
Altitude: around 200 m.
Synonyms:
- Eriosyce napina var. mitis (Phil.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
- Echinocactus mitis Phil.
- Hildmannia mitis (Phil.) Kreuz. & Buining
- Neochilenia mitis (Phil.) Backeb.
- Neochilenia napina var. mitis (Phil.) Backeb. ex Dölz
- Neoporteria napina var. mitis (Phil.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
Eriosyce napina (Phil.) Katt.
Eriosyce (Cactac.) gen. revis. & ampl. (Succ. Pl. Res., 1) 118 (1994)
Synonymy: 31
- Eriosyce napina (Phil.) Katt.
- Chilenia napina (Phil.) Backeb.
- Chileorebutia napina (Phil.) F.Ritter
- Echinocactus napinus Phil.
- Hildmannia napina (Phil.) Kreuz. & Buining
- Malacocarpus napinus Britton & Rose
- Neochilenia napina (Phil.) Backeb. ex Dölz
- Neochilenia napina (Phil.) Y.Itô
- Neoporteria napina (Phil.) Backeb.
- Notocactus napinus (Phil.) A.Berger
- Thelocephala napina (Phil.) Y.Itô
- Thelocephala roseiflora Y.Itô
- Eriosyce napina subs. challensis I.Schaub & Keim
- Thelocephala challensis (I.Schaub & Keim) Faúndez & Saldivia
- Eriosyce napina var. imitans (Backeb.) nov. comb. ined.
- Neochilenia imitans Backeb.
- Neoporteria reichei f. imitans (Backeb.) Donald
- Eriosyce napina var. mitis (Phil.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
- Echinocactus mitis Phil.
- Hildmannia mitis (Phil.) Kreuz. & Buining
- Neochilenia mitis (Phil.) Backeb.
- Neochilenia napina var. mitis (Phil.) Backeb. ex Dölz
- Neoporteria napina var. mitis (Phil.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
- Eriosyce napina var. neoreichei (Backeb.) nov. comb. ined.
- Neochilenia neoreichei Backeb.
- Neoporteria reichei f. neoreichei (Backeb.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
- Reicheocactus neoreichei (Backeb.) Backeb.
- Eriosyce napina var. spinosior (Backeb.) nov. comb. ined.
- Neochilenia napina var. spinosior Backeb.
- Neoporteria napina var. spinosior Backeb.
- Neoporteria napina f. spinosior (Backeb.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
Eriosyce napina var. duripulpa (F.Ritter) Katt.
Eriosyce (Cactac.) gen. revis. & ampl. (Succ. Pl. Res., 1) 118 (1994)
Synonymy: 8
- Eriosyce napina var. duripulpa (F.Ritter) Katt.
- Chileorebutia duripulpa F.Ritter
- Eriosyce duripulpa F.Ritter
- Eriosyce napina subs. duripulpa (F.Ritter) Katt.
- Neochilenia duripulpa (F.Ritter) Backeb.
- Neoporteria napina var. duripulpa (F.Ritter) A.E.Hoffm.
- Neoporteria reichei f. duripulpa (F.Ritter) Donald & G.D.Rowley
- Thelocephala duripulpa (F.Ritter) F.Ritter
Eriosyce napina var. fankhauseri (F.Ritter) Romulski
Kaktusy Inne 4(3): 131. 2007 ; cf. Repert. Pl. Succ. 58: 9. 2008
Synonymy: 4
- Eriosyce napina var. fankhauseri (F.Ritter) Romulski
- Eriosyce napina subs. fankhauseri (F.Ritter) Mächler & Helmut Walter
- Neoporteria napina var. fankhauseri (F.Ritter) A.E.Hoffm.
- Thelocephala fankhauseri F.Ritter
Eriosyce napina var. lembckei Katt.
Eriosyce (Cactac.) gen. revis. & ampl. (Succ. Pl. Res., 1) 118 (1994)
Synonymy: 7
- Eriosyce napina var. lembckei Katt.
- Eriosyce napina subs. lembckei Katt.
- Neochilenia lembckei Backeb.
- Neoporteria napina var. lembckei (Backeb.) A.E.Hoffm.
- Neoporteria reichei var. lembckei (Backeb.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
- Neoporteria reichei f. lembckei (Backeb.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
- Thelocephala lembckei (Backeb.) F.Ritter
Eriosyce napina var. riparia (Mächler & Helmut Walter) Romulski
Kaktusy Inne 4(3): 131. 2007 ; cf. Repert. Pl. Succ. 58: 9. 2008
Synonymy: 3
- Eriosyce napina var. riparia (Mächler & Helmut Walter) Romulski
- Eriosyce napina subs. riparia Mächler & Helmut Walter
- Thelocephala riparia (Mächler & Helmut Walter) Faúndez & Saldivia
Eriosyce napina var. tenebrica (F.Ritter) Romulski
Kaktusy Inne 4(3): 131. 2007 ; cf. Repert. Pl. Succ. 58: 9. 2008
Synonymy: 4
- Eriosyce napina var. tenebrica (F.Ritter) Romulski
- Eriosyce napina subs. tenebrica (F.Ritter) Ferryman
- Eriosyce tenebrica (F.Ritter) Katt.
- Thelocephala tenebrica F.Ritter
Eriosyce napina f. viridis
Description: It is a very small perennial plant with a brown body slowly growing atop a thick, underground taproot. It is a dwarf form of Eriosyce napinaSN|2370]]SN|2370]].
Stem: About 3-5 cm across, 2-6 cm tall slow growing, spherical or flattened eventually becoming somewhat elongated in cultivation, with a constriction between the stem and the root, brown to dark purple-brown.
Tubercles: Larger than ssp. lembckei;
Radial spines: Very short brown to grey pressed flat against the stem.
Areoles: With grey felt becoming bare.
Roots: Forms a tuberous root system with (usually) a very large carrot-like root
Flower: Often larger than the plant itself from crown approx 3,5 cm long, 4-6 cm in diameter, pinkish with a silky shine ( but also white, pink, carmine, or brown) buds densely hairy with brown wool.
Fruits: Large, red, clavate, wrapped in white wool.
Blooming season: Flowers already when young, synchronised flowering of the whole plants takes place over one or two days, and they remain open for about three or four days. Blooms in late spring to summer.
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Eriosyce napina group
Eriosyce napina (Phil.) Katt.: Tiny geophyte, with a solitary sphericalstem slowly growing atop a thick, underground taproot, with a constriction between the stem and the root. Spines: short black, flattened against the stem surface. Distibution Huasco to 15 km south of Freirina.
Eriosyce napina subs. challensis I.Schaub & Keim: It appears white due to its very woolly areoles and addpressed spines that make it looks like a tiny hairy Epithelantha.
Eriosyce napina var. duripulpa (F.Ritter) Katt.: Plant with globose stems, small tubercles, and horn-colored spines. Distribution: Vallenar to Huasco.
- Eriosyce napina var. fankhauseri (F.Ritter) Romulski
Eriosyce napina var. lembckei Katt.: It has small tubercles, stems that sometimes become elongate, and horn-colored spines.
Eriosyce napina var. mitis (Phil.) Donald & G.D.Rowley: it is a dwarf form with a brown body and short spines pressed flat against the stem.
Eriosyce napina var. riparia (Mächler & Helmut Walter) Romulski: Distribution: Elqui, east of Trapiche.
Eriosyce napina var. tenebrica (F.Ritter) Romulski: has dark greyish brown or greenish-black, spherical to flattened stems 2-4(-7) cm in diameter with a conical taproot. Distribution: valley of the Rio Choros.
Eriosyce napina f. viridis: only differs for the stem colour which is a bright grass green and not a dark tannish-brown. It is (presumably) a nursery selected form, sometime found in the trade.
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
2) Nathaniel Lord Britton, Joseph Nelson Rose “Cactaceae: Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family” vol. 4 The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington 1923
3) 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
4) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006 ISBN 0953813444, 9780953813445
5) Fred Kattermann "Eriosyce (Cactaceae): The Genus Revised and Amplified" David Hunt, 1994
Cultivation and Propagation: This species has the fame to be difficult to grow, but it is really not so difficult. Whatever view one adopts, it is worth a place in every cactus collection. The only problem is that it is very slow growing and for its long root, necessitates a rather larger, or deeper at least, pot that one might expect for the size of plant. Like all thick-rooted species, it requires careful watering (rot sensitive), and patience to match its slow growth. During the winter rest, the plant may pull near the surface of the potting mix. Sometimes they are grafted to avoid root rot problems. Suited for sunny-bright exposure; they can tolerate light shade. They prefer airy exposures. They like warmth (recommended minimum winter temperature 5° C). But plant kept perfectly dry can easily survive in winter night temperatures below 0° C
Pests & diseases: Eriosyce napinaSN|2370]]SN|2370]] is especially prone to rot, therefore, underpot in a smaller container filled with a very porous compost.
Propagation: Direct sow after last frost (it usually doesn't produces offsets) or graft. Seeds can be sown in the spring or summer. The seedlings should not be disturbed until they are well rooted, after which they can be planted separately in small pots.
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