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.

Ubelmannia pectinifera var. pseudopectinifera.
This is one of the most  beautiful cactus and is worth a place in any collection.
 

Description: This cactus normally has a solitary body
Stem: Although usually globular or slightly elongated in cultivation, it is reported to grow to as much as 800mm tall and 10-15 cm wide. It is dark reddish-green to reddish-brown with what looks like a waxy coating covered with pores and if looked at close has a strange resemblance to human skin. (In cultivation the colour of the plants depends on sun exposure, the plants grown in shadow are green with white stripes, wile the ones in full sun take a dark frost brown or purple color)
Ribs: 15 to 18 vertical and prominent.
Areoles: Set closely to form an almost continuous felty 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 and give a comb-like effect.
Radial spines: Absent.
Flowers: Diurnal, funnel-shaped greenish yellow. They are 15 mm long, 12 mm in diameter, with no discernible scent.
Blooming season: Flowers come sporadically from Early Summer to Late Summer
Fruit: Inconspicuous , dark red and globular

Cultivation: This tropical cactus prefers 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 full sun position and possibly afternoon shade in summer. If you can place it so that this occurs the plant will be much happier.

 

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):

• Uebelmannia pectinifera
• Uebelmannia pectinifera forma variegata
• Uebelmannia pectinifera subsp. horrida
• Uebelmannia flavispina (U. pectinifera subsp. flavispina )
• Uebelmannia flavispina forma cristata
• Uebelmannia multicostata (U. pectinifera)
• Uebelmannia pseudopectinifera (U. pectinifera

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 the ideal.

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Scientific name:  Uebelmannia pectinifera Buining 1967

Origin: Brazil (mountain of Minas Gerais) 

Habitat: The plants are found growing in dry savanna and rocky areas in rocks cracks or in pockets or small flat areas of organic leaf mould and sand found among rocks at about 1000m altitude. I

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 1.

Etymology: Named after Werner Uebelmann, the Swiss nurseryman who imported them into Europe.

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.