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Astrophytum senilis (an old specimen) |
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Description: Spherical to short cylindrical
cacti, so densely wrapped with soft spines that the body is hardly
visible, and looks like a dry grass bundle.
Spines: 16 to 20(-30), whitish, dark reddish brown till black coloring, later getting grey, bristly, flexible, square in cross-section,
5 to 7(-10) cm long and pointing in all directions that often form up
spirals, they are so densely nest wrapped that the body is hardly
visible and looks like a dry grass bundle. The lateral ones grows
horizontally sideways at first and then buckle while the others point
more or less upwards. After rain they
get wet and become very flabby.
Flowers: Yellow (or often orange or pink) with a red centre.
Cultivation: Easy to grow. Use mineral, well
permeable substratum (rot prone). Water sparingly
from March till October and keep perfectly dry
in winter at temperatures from 5 to 15 degrees centigrade.
(but it is Hardy to -7°C for short periods)
In the rest period no high atmospheric humidity!!
Sun Exposure: Light shade to full sun.
Propagation: They can be propagated from seed.
Photo of conspecific
taxa, varieties, forms and
cultivars:
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Family:
Cactaceae (Cactus
Family) |
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Scientific name:
Astrophytum capricorne v. senile (FRIC) OKUMURA
HOOCK, H. 1990 . Kakt. and. Sukk. Band: 41 Heft (2)
und Heft (3) Seite 28-30 und 56-60
Synonyms:
- Astrophytum capricorne v. senile BACKEBERG
(OKUMURA) 1961
- Astrophytum capricorne v. senilis MARSHALL,
W.T.; BOCK, T.M.1941
- Astrophytum senile, FRIC, A.V. 1925
- Astrophytum senile v. senile, SCHÜTZ, B. 983
- Echinocactus capricorne senilis RÖDER, W. 1929
- Echinocactus capricornis v. senilis, ( FRIC)
BERGER, A. 1929
- Echinocactus capricornus senile, Anonym 1926
- Echinocactus capricornus v. senilis, MÖLLER, H. 1927
Conservation status: Listed in
CITES appendix 2
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Astrophytum senilis has lovely yellow flowers with a red centre
and long flexible spines that mimics dry grass.
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Cultivation
and Mail Sale 
