Origin and Habitat: The department of Ayacucho and Huancavelica, central Peru, on the western cordillera.
Altitude: 2500 to 3000 metres above sea level.
Habitat: Oreocereus doelzianusSN|5963]]SN|5963]] grows in high altitudes mainly in the eastern slopes in inter-Andean valleys and are covered with wool as a protection against the cold. The flowers are bright red and zygomorphic, suggesting that this plant is is pollinated by birds. The species is frequent but not abundant. The major threats are urbanization and agriculture.
Synonyms:
See all synonyms of Oreocereus doelzianus
Description: In recent times Morawetzia doelzianaSN|5964]]SN|5964]] has been referred to Oreocereus, but it does have an apical (pseudo)cephalium of wool and long bristles. It is a very hairy tall growing columnar cactus. The bright red flowers are borne towards the end of the stems in the pseudocephalium and appear freely at an early age. Three subspecies are recognized, the nominate form, subsp. calvus (Rauh & Backeb) Mottram and subsp. sericatus (F.Ritter) Mottram.
Habit: They form low colonies of slender cerei with many erect stems, later much branched from the base or a little above ground.
Stem: Erect or ascending, up to about 1 m tall x 6-8 cm in diameter, right green.
Ribs: Protruding less than 1 cm divided by cross grooves, and slightly prominent where the areoles are borne.
Areoles: Circular, on protuberances on the ribs, greyish-white and felted, separated by slight depressions, 1,5 cm apart, densely to sparsely hairy or hairs absent .
Spines: Variable. Stems are covered in long, white, hair-like, silky spines without bristle tufts, (which becomes more dense in strong light) to protect them from the mountain cold and hot sun. Hidden in this white down are up to 20 spines, up to 3 cm long, stout, needle-like, yellow, straw-coloured or dark-brown, sometime 4 longer centrals develop later.
Pseudocephalium: Terminal with brownish bristles and white wool.
Flowers: Long tubed, zygomorphic, deep purplish pink, vermilion-red about 10 cm long and 3 cm in diameter, produced in the apical tuft of bristles and hairs. Scales of tube with numerous loose axillary hairs, limb oblique with rounded tepal tips.
Fruit: Ovoid to spherical, yellowish or greenish opening basally.
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Oreocereus doelziarius group
- Oreocereus doelzianus (Backeb.) Borg: Cylindrical stems freely branching basally covered in white wool. Spines yellow to dark brown. Produces terminal cephalia with long white woolly hairs and whitish yellow bristles. Flowers borne from the cephalia, bluish carmine red. Distribution: central Peru.
- Oreocereus doelzianus subs. calvus (Rauh & Backeb.) Mottram
Oreocereus doelzianus var. sericatus (F.Ritter) Lodé: Stems are covered in long, white, hair-like spines (which becomes more dense in strong light) to protect them from the mountain cold and hot sun. Hidden in this white down are long, needle-like spines straw-coloured.- Oreocereus doelzianus var. sericatus f. cristata: Attractive species that forms beautiful crest covered in long, white, hair-like spines (which becomes more dense in strong light)
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Cáceres, F. & Ostalaza, C. 2013. Oreocereus doelzianus. In: IUCN 2013. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species." Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 17 February 2014.
2) David Hunt, Nigel Taylor “The New Cactus Lexicon” DH Books, 2006
3) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
4) 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
5) Haustein, Erik “Der Kosmos-Kakteenführer” Franckh-Kosmos 1983
6) Curt Backeberg: “Die Cactaceae: Handbuch der Kakteenkunde” Volume 2, 1959
7) Willy Cullmann, Erich Götz (Dozent Dr.), Gerhard Gröner "The encyclopedia of cacti" Timber Press, 1987
8) Clive Innes "Complete Handbook of Cacti and Succulents" Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 01/dic/1981
9) Franz Buxbaum "Cactus culture: based on biology" Blandford Press, 1958
10) Margaret J. Martin, Peter Richard Chapman, Hugh Ambrose Auger "Cacti and their cultivation" Scribner's, 1975
Cultivation and Propagation: This is a frost hardy cactus that grow at high altitude (hardy to -12°C) It need full sun exposures.
Soil: Use mineral well permeable mineral soil with little organic matter (peat, humus).
Exposure: They need a good amount of light shade to full sun this help to keep the plants healthy, although slow growth.
Watering: Water sparingly from March till October (weekly during summertime, if the weather is sunny enough) , with a little fertilizer added. Less or no water during cold winter months, or when night temperatures remain below 10° to prevent root loss. It is sensitive to overwatering (rot prone).
Fertilization: Feeding may not be necessary at all if the compost is fresh then, feed in summer only if the plant hasn't been repotted recently. Do not feed the plants from September onwards as this can cause lush growth which can be fatal during the darker cold months.
Hardiness: Keep perfectly dry in winter at temperatures from 5 to 15 degrees centigrade. (but it is relatively cold resistant and hardy to -12° C, or possibly colder for short periods) In the rest period no high atmospheric humidity!! (Temperature Zone: USDA 9-11)
Crested growth: Unlike 'monstrose' varieties of plants, where the variation from normal growth is due to genetic mutation, crested growth can occur on normal plants. Sometimes it's due to variances in light intensity, or damage, but generally the causes are unknown. A crested plant may have some areas growing normally, and a cresting plant that looks like a brain, may revert to normal growth for no apparent reason. If you have any of the crested part left you need to remove the normal growth and leave the crested part behind this will need to be done regularly.
Propagation: Grafting or cuttings. Plants are usually grafted onto column-shaped cacti but proved to be able to produce their own roots if degrafted. Cuttings will take root in a minimum temperature of 20° C (but better in hot weather). Cuttings of healthy shoots can be taken in the spring and summer. Cut the stem with a sharp, sterile knife, leave the cutting in a warm, dry place for a week or weeks (depending on how thick the cutting is) until a callus forms over the wound. Once the callus forms, the cutting may be inserted in a container filled with firmed cactus potting mix topped with a surface layer of coarse grit. They should be placed in the coarse grit only; this prevents the cut end from becoming too wet and allows the roots to penetrate the rich compost underneath. The cuttings should root in 2 to 6 weeks. Large crested piece must be placed on the soil surface without burying the plant base down in the soil.
