All the information and photos in cactus art file are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.

Gymnocalycium cv. RED BLUSH
 

Description: Gymnocalycium cv. RED BLUSH  is a freely offsetting very easy to grow and very free-flowering cactus. It is a highly decorative plant with purple  blushed stems and nice pink blooms. It is supposed of hybrid origin and seems related to Gymnocalycium damsii var. tucavocense to which it shares many characteristics.
Stem: Spherical-depressed to short cylindrical, up to 10 cm tall , 8-15 cm in diameter, pale-green or brownish-green with a nice purple tinge in the older part, and highly decorative.
Ribs: About 6-9, broad  and slightly notched into low chin-shape protrusions.
Radial spines: 5-8 up to 12 mm (or more) long, straight or slightly tortuous, short, nearly useless in terms of defence. Young spine are pastel-white or yellowish with a darker tip, later become pale-grey.
Central spines: Usually absent.
Flowers: From the centre, narrow, funnelform, about 6 cm long. External tepals greenish whit reddish margins, internal tepals pink spreading. Tube pale green, scales on the ovary and flower tube small, scattered.
Blooming season: It produces flowers almost continuously during the year.
Fruit: Oblong, 2,5 cm long, 6 mm in diameter, reddish at maturity.
 

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Scientific name: Gymnocalycium cv. RED BLUSH

Origin:  Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Cultivation: It is a summer grower species that offers no cultivation difficulties.  Water regularly in summer (but do not overwater ) Keep this plant almost dry in winter at a minimum temperature of 0°C, prefer relatively rich substrate and  low pH  compost (if possible not limestone) otherwise growth will stop altogether. Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer. It is quite frost resistant if kept dry (hardy to -5° C)
Sun Exposure: Light shade. It may tolerate bright situations  but is likely to suffer from sun scorch or stunted growth if over exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day in summer. This plant needs plenty of space for its roots, repotting should be done every other year or when the it has outgrown its pot. This species is particularly easy and accommodating, seldom suffer of cryptogamic diseases.

Propagation: Direct sow after last frost. (seldom produces offsets)

Seed Collecting: Permit fruit to ripen.  Fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed; clean and dry seeds.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars
 of plants belonging to the Gymnocalycium anisitii  complex (This Taxon has lots of synonyms ( like many other cacti) with several controversial varieties and subspecies):

• Gymnocalycium damsii
• Gymnocalycium damsii var. rotundulum
• Gymnocalycium damsii var. tucavocense (G. anisitii ssp. damsii)
• Gymnocalycium damsii var. tucavocense "RED FOM"
• Gymnocalycium cv. KIKKO (G. anisitsii forma mostruosa) 
• Gymnocalycium cv. RED BLUSH (hybrid)

All the information and photos in cactus art file are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.