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  Uebelmannia pectinifera subsp. horrida CACTUS ART
NURSERY

Cultivation and Mail Sale
of Cacti and Succulents.


Uebemannia pectinifera ssp. horrida HU1538 Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil
This form is greener than the type with firm, almost lizard-skin textured 'skin' and spines
more spreading and doesn't give the comb-like effect of the type.
 

Description: Uebelmannia pectinifera ssp. horrida is a solitary cactus 50- 100 cm tall.
Stem: Up to 18 cm wide, although usually globular or slightly elongated in cultivation, it is reported to grow to as much as 100 cm tall. It is greener than the type reddish-green to brownish-green, with off-white scales. (In cultivation the colour of the plants depends on sun exposure, the plants grown in shadow are green with white stripes, while the ones in full sun take on a purple colour)
Ribs: 23 to 40, acute, vertical and prominent.
Areoles: Set closely and nearly confluent to form an almost continuous grey to brownish felt-like line down the ribs' sides.
Central spines: Dark brown/grey, 1 to 4, up to 1.5(-2) cm long; the spines are close set, neatly arranged, straight, often interlacing, but are
Radial spines: Absent.
Flowers: Diurnal, funnel-shaped greenish yellow. They are 15 mm long, 12 mm in diameter.
Blooming season: Flowers come sporadically from Early spring to Late Summer.
Fruit: pear shaped to cylindrical violet-red 1,5-2,5 cm long.

Remarks: The Uebelmannia pectinifera ssp. horrida and all the other plants belonging to the Uebelmannia pectinifera complex  are very variable in habitat, it has three recognized subspecies, but a multitude of different forms exist, where each form is linked to others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics.

  • subsp. pectinifera: It has about 18 ribs and slowly grow up to 50 cm in height. Origin: It comes from the mountains in the higher part of the areal.

  • subsp. flavispina: It has up to 29 ribs and can grow about 35 cm tall. Origin: west of Diamantina.

  • subsp. horrida: Stem with more than 23 ribs (up to 40) it is the taller of the three and can reach 1 m of height. Origin: Serra do Espihaço.


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Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Scientific name:  Uebelmannia pectinifera ssp. horrida (P.J.Braun) P.J.Braun & Esteves 1995

Origin:   Brazil (Mountains of Minas Gerais: Serra do Espihaço)

Habitat: The plants are found growing in dry savanna and rocky areas in rock cracks or in pockets or small flat areas of organic leaf mould and sand found among rocks at about 1000m altitude. It is threatened by habitat loss. U. pectinifera and its subspecies are more common in collections than they are in habitat.

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 1.

Etymology: The species name "pectinifera" comes from the Latin for "bearing combs". The subspecies name comes from Latin "Horridus" meaning "sticking out, rough, shaggy,  prickly" for its more irregular and rough appearance of spines than the type.

Synonyms:

  • Uebelmannia pectinifera var. horrida P.J.Braun 1984

 
 


Cultivation:
This tropical cactus loves warm moist, humid conditions and mist spraying is a must in summer. Water regularly during the growing season and use a very draining mineral potting substrate. At the onset of winter, do not water. Uebelmannias need heat all year round and extra winter heat, minimum 10C is best. Avoid any frost. Keep cool in summer. This plant prove to be root prone if kept too cold in winter. To help stop this, a good deep collar of pumice or lava grit is an excellent idea. It prefers a  position in full sun, and possibly afternoon shade in summer. If you can place it so that this occurs, the plant will be much happier.

Propagation: Seeds, but plants are often grafted, making them easier to grow, particularly through the winter.  If possible using a rootstock that is more hardy than the Uebelmannia is ideal.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Uebelmannia pectinifera complex (This Taxon has lots of synonyms ( like many other cacti) with several controversial varieties and subspecies, and comprises a multitude of different forms, but where each form is linked to others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics):


Photo gallery: Alphabetical listing of Cactus and Succulent pictures published in this site.

Photo gallery UEBELMANIA

Home | E-mail | Plant files | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search

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.