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Turbinicarpus alonsoi

Turbinicarpus alonsoi Xichu, Guanajuato, México.
An old mature specimen, its distinctive form perhaps reminds one at first of Obregonia.
 

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Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of Turbinicarpus alonsoi: :

• Turbinicarpus alonsoi
• Turbinicarpus alonsoi forma cristata

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Scientific name: Turbinicarpus alonsoi Glass&Arias 1996
First description: Glass and Arias,  Kakteen und andere Sukkulenten,, 47(2): 26-27, 1996

Synonym:
Pediocactus alonsoi
(Glass & S.Arias) J.J.Halda 1998
Published in: Acta Mus. Richnov. Sect. Nat., 5 (1): 22: 1998

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix I.

Locality: Xichu, Guanajuato, México.

Description: T. alonsoi is a small geophytic solitary cactus with a large tap-root, and only the apical part of the stem exposed at soil level.
Stem: Flattened, spherical, mostly underground, 6-7 (-9) cm in diameter, up to 11 cm long.
Ribs: Arranged in tubercles, these are 15 mm long and 13 mm wide at the base, slightly angular, upper side keeled, however concave at the base, clearly keeled on the underside, arranged in spirals, opposite contact parastichy with a number relationship of 5:8 or 8:13, from grey-green to glaucous in colour.
Areoles:  At first with reddish brown wool, later becoming grey.
Spines 3-5, up to 20 mm long, flattened, cardboard-like, grey with dark tip, irregularly bent inwards, frequently weathered, not piercing.
Flowers: Cherry red to pink-magenta, with more intensely coloured mid-stripe 20-30 mm in diameter, 25-35 mm long, standing above the tubercles by about 10 mm, with approximately 22 inner (teptals), scale like perianth segments, more intensely red with pale edge. Pistil 15 mm long, white, standing above the stamens by around 2-4 mm, with 6 white, 1.5-2 (-2.5) mm-long stigma lobes.
Blooming season: From March to October, mainly between April and June
Fruit:  10 mm long, 5 mm in diameter, smooth, reddish-dark purple, brighter at the base, opening with 1-2 longitudinal tears.
Seeds: 1 mm long, 0.75 mm high.
 

Cultivation: It’s a fairly easy and robust species to cultivate, but very slow growing.  It needs a very well-drained soil, and requires strong sun to part sun to keep the plant compact and low and to develop a good spinal growth. Waterings should be rather infrequent to keep the plant compact, and avoid its becoming excessively elongated and unnatural in appearance. Furthermore it has a tap root, and watering it properly is often difficult, because it tends to crack open or rot if over-watered. Careful watering away from the body of the plant will allow the areoles to keep their wool. Keep dry in winter, or when night temperatures remain below 10° C.  It is hardy to -4°C for a short period.  Assure a good ventilation.

Reproduction: From seed, since the plant rarely produces plantlets, or grafted.

Sometimes in cultivation the old specimens will produces basal shoot.

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.