| Place of origin:
Central Mexico, states of Hidalgo and San Luis Potosi.
Description: The plant, well-known popularly
like golden barrel cactus, shows globular and generally solitary
stem, but older plants can send basal offsets.
In the wild, it can grow beyond 1 m. wide. The stem is shining
green, it has the upper part flattened and can show some wool
on that area.
It has between 20 and 27 rectilinear and prominent ribs, that
do not get very noticed in the young specimens.
Areolas show yellow wool when the plant is young, later white
and grayish when the plant is older. They are big and are
separated 1 or 2 cm. to each other.
Radial spines are about 8 or 10, and measure approximately
3 cm. long. Central spines are about 3 or 5, they are about
5 cm. long, they are strong and straight, but they can appear
slightly curved downwards. They are golden or red at first,
but they become gray as the plant grows old.
Flowers appear in the upper areolas of adult plants when time
is warm. They arise between the wool and last 3 days. They
are about 4 and 7 cm long and 5 cm. wide. The external petals
are yellow and brown on the inside. The internal ones are
shining yellow color.
Growing tips: The plant requires very well
drained soil. Even when young plants are better in partial
shade, adult plants need full sun. Propagation by seeds. |
