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Tephrocactus floccosus (rauhii) Janahuanca-Alcacocha Peru
in
Cordillera Central, near Cerro de Pasco.
From
the photo-DVD by
Zoltán Varga Hungary.
Botanical expedition in Peru in the autumn of 2005.
This DVD is orderable at e-mail address:
vargaz@piszkenet.hu
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Description:
Mat forming cactus, forms colonies of up to
60 (and over) cm of diameter. Segments 15 cm long, 6 cm in diameter.
Long; soft and whitish/grey hairy glochids ; occasionally 2 or more
numerous yellow spines and awl shaped leaves, up to 0.7 cm;
The flowers petals are orange-red (or yellow) with yellow centre, up
to 3 cm long
Fruits are yellowish when unripe and sugary/orange when ripen. They
are eatable and when they are applied on contusions help to reduce the
swelling (Anti-inflammatory).
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A form with orange flower. Oyon 4120 m, Peru
(Photo by
Zoltán Varga)
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Taxon
synonyms: |
- Tephrocactus rahui
- Opuntia rauhi
- Austrocylindropuntia
lagopus fa. rauhii
- Austrocylindropuntia
floccosa
- Opuntia floccosa
- Opuntia floccosa var. crassior
- Opuntia floccosa var. ovoides
- Tephrocactus floccosus
- Tephrocactus floccosus
subvar. Aurescens
- Tephrocactus floccosus
var. crassior
- Tephrocactus floccosus
var. cylindraceus
- Tephrocactus floccosus
var. flavicomus
- Tephrocactus floccosus
var. ovoides
- Maihueniopsis floccosa
- Tephrocactus
atroviridis
- Tephrocactus
atroviridis var. longicylindricus
- Tephrocactus
atroviridis var. parviflorus
- Tephrocactus
atroviridis var. paucispinus
- Opuntia atroviridis
- Tephrocactus udonis
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- Tephrocactus udonis
- Opuntia verticosa
- Tephrocactus
verticosus
- Austrocylindropuntia
tephrocactoides
- Cylindropuntia
tephrocactoides
- Opuntia
tephrocactoides
- Tephrocactus
crispicrinitus
- Tephrocactus
crispicrinitus var. cylindraceus
- Opuntia crispicrinita
- Opuntia crispicrinita
var. cylindracea
- Tephrocactus
cylindrolanatus
- Opuntia cylindrolanata
- Austrocylindropuntia
lauliacoana
- Austrocylindropuntia
machacana
- Tephrocactus pseudo-udonis
- Tephrocactus pseudo-udonis
- Opuntia pseudo-udonis
- Austrocylindropuntia machacana
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Opuntia floccosa var. rauhii
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Family:
Cactaceae
Scientific Name:
Tephrocactus rauhii
(Salm-Dyck
ex Winterfeld) Backeb.
1935
Conservation status: Listed in
CITES appendix 2.
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Origin: Tephrocactus floccosus (T. rahuii) is found widespread
from
central-Northern Peru to Bolivia in
the Andean High Plateau
Habitat: This plant
grows in dry valleys, rocky slopes and among bushes
in high elevation tropical alpine
habitats. This region has a marked dry season and overnight temperatures
that drop often below 0°C ( to -15° C ).
The typical form of T. floccosus
in central Peru has a dense covering of long hairs that
protect from freezing temperatures, comparisons in habitat with
'hairless' forms showed that the hairy type maintain an epidermal
temperature several degrees higher during the night.
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e-mail address:
vargaz@piszkenet.hu
T. floccosus grows almost on the ground and forms large woolly-haired
compact cushions.
The hummingbird is pollinating!
T. rauhii (floccosus) KK 393, Huancayo, Junin, Peru,
Altitude: 4000m
(in cultivation)
Cultivation:
Not easy, because of the mountain environment in which the plants live,
they need as much direct sun light as possible to encourage the heaviest
spines an wool formation, plants in shaded positions grows etiolated and
fail to produce the typical hairy covering.
They need to be kept in a cool place during
the winter rest (at 0
to -10°C) this is important for the flowers as well as for their health. They are quite winter hardy and
can be cultivated outdoor, if adequately protected from the rain and
kept perfectly dry.
Needs good drainage, water sparingly (rot prone). |
Propagation: Cuttings, seeds.
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