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

Strombocactus disciformis  is a superb slow-growing miniature plant from Mexico.
The cream blooms are freely produced throughout the summer. The 8 to 10 lobed stigma is white or yellowish.
 

Description: It is a rare geophytes, usually solitary.
Stem: The body is flattened or spherical, 3 to 8 cm high, reaching 20 cm in age, and 3 to 9 cm across. The crown is slightly depressed and felted. The colour is blue-green with greyish tinge, the base covered with brown corky spots in age. It is composed of hard, spirally arranged rhomboid  and imbricate  tubercles, 1 to 1.8 cm high. These tubercules are flattened and almost truncated above and somewhat horny or keeled below.
Spines: 4 to 5, erect and dark grey at the tips and pale grey at the base, 1.2 to 2 cm long, they become calcified, they are caducous and in age fall at the stem base.
Roots: Strong napiform (turnip-like).
Flower: Arise on the crown, measure about 3.5 cm in length and breadth, are shiny cream coloured with occasional spots at the tip and in the throat, The filaments are white or reddish, the anthers yellow. The 8 to 10 lobed stigma are white or yellowish.
Fruit:  7 mm across, splits down its length.
Seeds: Very small.
Blossoming time: flowers emerge early in spring and are freely produced throughout the summer, remaining open for several days.
 

S. disciformis VB143 Villazon, Queretaro Mexico

S. disciformis SB174 Villazon, Queretaro Mexico

The ripe fruit (about 7 mm across) splits down its length releasing the minuscule seeds.

A rare crested form.

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Cultivation: Although regarded as a choice and difficult plant in cultivation it is relatively easy to grow, but very slow growing. It is often seen as a grafted plant but grows very well on its own roots too. Needs a very well drained mineral substratum with little organic matter (peat, humus).  Requires strong sun to part sun to develop good compact growth and waterings should be rather infrequent, to keep the plant flat shaped and not become excessively elongated and unnatural in appearance. Use  Water sparingly from March till October and keep perfectly dry in winter, or when night temperatures remain below 10° C (but some people give this plant a light monthly watering to prevent the drying and shedding of the lower tubercles.) It is hardy to -4°C (or less)  for a short period. In the rest period no high atmospheric humidity!! Ensure  a good ventilation.

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Basionym: Mammillaria disciformis DC., Mem. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 17:114 (1828)
Distribution: Mexico ( Quetaro, Hidalgo and Guanajuato )

Habitat: In nearly vertical limestone cliffs and slopes.

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix I

Synonyms:

• Mammillaria disciformis A.P de Candolle 1828.
  Published in:  Mem. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 17:114 (1828);
• Echinocactus disciformis (A.P de Candolle) K. Schumann 1894.
  Published in:  Engler and Pranti, Pflanzenfam. 36a:1 89 (1894);
• Ariocarpus disciformis (A.P. de Candolle) W.T. Marshall 1946.
  Published in:  Cact. Succ. J. Amer. 18:56 (1946).
• Echinofossulocactus turbiniformis Lawrence 1841
  Published in:  Loudon, Gard. Mag. 17:318 (1841);
• Echinocactus turbiniformis Pfeiffer 1838
  Published in:  AlIg. Gartenz. 6:275 (1838);
• Mammillaria turbinata Hooker in Curtis 1843
  Published in: Bot. Mag. 69:3984 (1843);
• Cactus disciformis Kuntze 1891
  Published in:  Rev. Gen. P1. 1:260 (1891);
• Cactus turbinatus Kuntze 1891
  Published in:  Rev. Gen. P1. 1:261 (1891);
• Anhalonium turbiniforme Weber in Bois 1893
  Published in:  Dict. Hort. 90 (1893);
• Strombocactus (Turbinicarpus) disciformis (DC.) Backbg.1936
  Published in:  Blat. Kakt. 1 (1936)].

Etymology:  The genus name "Strombocactus" derives from the Greek word “strombos”  meaning ""fir cone, spinning top” treferring to the shape of the plants, and the word “cactus” (an old genus name)
( The genus name implies: "fir cone cactus ").
The species name "disciformis" derives from the Latin adjective “disciformis” which means “disk-shaped, circular, flat,”   ( The specific name implies: "disk shaped")
 

The ripe fruit (about7 mm across) splits down its length releasing the minuscule seeds.

Propagation: Almost exclusively by seeds. But the seedlings are tiny and very slow growing and at first  they take one or two years to reach the diameter of 1 mm!!!  Once they have reached 4 years old or more they are relatively easy to grow, the problem is getting them to 4 years old! Than they reach 2 cm of diameter in about 6/8 years, and require very careful watering. Plants need 8 to 10  years to reach the flowering size.
Sometime, older specimens may shoot tillers from under tubercles, so they can be propagated by cuttings in spring (but rooting may prove a challenge).  Plants are sometimes grafted onto column-shaped cacti, which is a much easier way of propagation than sowing.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of strombocactus disciformis.

• S, disciformis
• S. pulcherrimus ( = S. disciformis ssp. esperanzae)
• S. disciformis forma cristata
• S. disciformis cv. Cactus Art
• S. disciformis forma polytomica

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