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Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var. friedrichii
(Syn: Gymnocalycium friedrichii)

It is an extremely popular species, and easily grown.
The banded body of this plant is unmistakable, it is  an old favourite and very beautiful plant, the colours of the stem is enhanced  in full sun and oppose with the pink flowers.
 

Gymnocalycium friedrichii
L373 Laguna N Charagua 600mt

A plant with very sharp ribs.
They have a pink flower in the spring and summer.

Photo and © copyright by Massimo Giannelli (Italy)

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of Gymnocalycium mihanovichii.

• G. mihanovichii
• G. mihanovichii var. filadelfiense
• G. mihanovichii var. friedrichii (G. friedrichii)
• G. mihanovichii forma cristata
• G. mihanovichii forma rubra ("HIBOTAN")

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Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Scientific name: Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var. friedrichii Werdermann,
In:  Kakteen and. Sukk. Pflanzen, Bd. 4, Mappe 29, pl.113, 1936

Origin:  From south to North-Western Paraguay (Chaco -Department Boquerón)

Habitat: Grows among scrubs in high-savannah

Synonyms:

• Gymnocalycium friedrichii (Werdermann) Pazout nom. inval. (Art. 34.1),
  In: Friciana 4(23): 12, 1964 = stenopleurum Hunt CITES
• Gymnocalycium friedrichii var. melocactiforme
• Gymnocalycium stenopleurum Ritter 1979

Description: Solitary cacti with banded body sometimes combined with G. mihanovichii, and sometimes kept as a separate species.
Stem: Flattened globose to elongated globose, grey green, olive green, greenish-purple, reddish brown to a dark grape colour10-12 cm tall (or more), 6-12 cm in diameter.
Ribs: 8-14, very prominent, and sharp banded whit strong dark brown markings especially when young, and these sometimes have crossbands of lighter colors.
Radial spines: 3-6, acicular, to awl shaped, light to dark brown, somewhat twisted, 0,7-4 cm long.
Central spines: Usually absent.
Flowers: Pale-pink to purplish-pink, 6-7 cm long.
Fruit: Gray-green up to 4 cm long, diameter 1 cm.
 

Gymnocalycium friedrichii  and G. stenopleurum are sometimes combined with G. mihanovichii, and sometimes kept as separate species. The main distinctions of G. friedrichii  and G. stenopleurum from G. mihanovichii are:

• G. friedrichii has prevalently purplish pink, wide open flowers and well-pronounced polymorphism of spines. Besides it has tall slender ribs and roller-shaped prominent thickening around areoles.

• G. mihanovichii has wider, lower ribs, in juvenile plants divided into separate chins, in maturity every rib have flat surface and a pleat above each areole. But the essential thing is its pale or brownish-yellow, not fully opening flower.

• G.stenopleurum Has white, fully opening flowers.

But many intermediate forms are also known and nowadays it is suggested that all should be combined into only one variable species.
 

The "HIBOTAN" :
Gymnocalycium mihanovichii friedrichii 'Rubra,' (cv. Hibotan)  are popular mutant, red or orange bodied cactus often known as the “Red Cap Cactus”, or “Ruby Ball”. There are also pure yellow or pink-white forms, known as “Blondie” or “Moon Cactus”. They are red, orange, yellow or even white because they contains no chlorophyll, much like the red we see in the fall foliage of trees when their chlorophyll breaks down and disappears. Without chlorophyll the mutant gymnocalyciums can not produce sugar and without sugar they will die. The only way to keep them alive is to graft them onto another cactus which has chlorophyll and which will provide sugar to the mutant scion. The chlorophyll containing bottom part of the graft, called the stock, can be any number of different cactus species. In the case of the gymnoclyciums it is usually Hylocereus, a tropical cactus.
Story: The first two red plants were produced by E. Watanabe in Japan. Sowing of some thousands of seeds of G. friedrichii yielded two bright red freak seedlings which would have died quickly had they not been grafted at once. From these have been produced literally millions of plants, distributed all over the world, by repeated grafting and cutting.”

Furthermore a number of readily distinguished multicoloured and variegated cultivars (only partially de-coloured) are now available. Some of this plants can be grown on their own roots and are very beautiful.

Cultivation: Very easy to grow this plants offers no cultivation difficulties. Watering Needs: Moderate to copious in summer, keep dry in winter.
Frost Tolerance: Quite frost resistant if kept dry  -10° C  (Temperature Zone: USDA 8-10 )
Cultural Practices: Feed with a high potassium fertilizer  in summer.
Sun Exposure: Full sun to light shade
Propagation: Seeds (seldom produces offsets)

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.