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Echinopsis sp. forma cristata CLONE B (Mauve)
This plant forms dark coppery-purple crests and nice pink flowers.
 

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Scientific name:  Echinopsis sp. forma criatata

Origin:  Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Common English Names include: Crested Easter Lily Cactus.

Description: The hybrids of Echinopsis (commonly known as Easter Lily Cactus ) are very popular and widely grown for their easy cultivation and for the showy flowers, but the beautiful crested forms are still rare in cactus collection. There are lots of different hybrids in cultivation, which are not easy to recognize if not in flower. The standard Echinopsis are spherical to cylindrical spiny cactus with many branches that can form large mound up to 50 cm (or more) in diameter.

The beautiful crested form, here described (Clone B mauve form), is rare in collection and priced for its large growing size and dark mauve-green fan-like stem.
Stem: Fat, strong green, bronze green or dark mauve-green depending on sun exposure. It can form in age a large convoluted mound and can reach a considerable size (up to 50 cm tall and in diameter, or more )
Areoles: Small, roundish, whitish-grey.
Spines: It has very  short greyish-brown spines all quite similar in shape.
Flowers: This clone produces nice pink blooms up to 15 cm long and 7-8 cm in diameter.

Here a short list of clones:

• Echinopsis sp. forma cristata Clone A (Green)
• Echinopsis sp. forma cristata Clone B (Mauve)

Cultivation: This plant does well under cultivation, though quite slow growing, but it can be much faster when grafted or  sustained with proper watering and fertilizing.
Plants grown on their own roots need a very well-drained soil mix (more so than many other cacti) and moderate to abundant water in summer, almost none in winter, as they are rot prone particularly when weather is wet and cold.  But it's important to avoid  wetting the bodies of these plants while they are in sunlight. A wet cactus in the sun light can cause sun burning, which can lead to scars, or even fungal infections and death. They require lots of bright sunlight (full sun or half-sun), which encourages growth of the spines.
The grafted plants are very easy to grow and will form a large white brain-like mounds with age. Watering during the active growing season (spring and summer); this will encourage steady growth, and prevent the plant from shrivelling. It should be kept in a cool place during winter rest (it can briefly tolerate temp. as low as -7°C). Stems may possibly become purple and limp in winter, but revitalize in early spring. Any normal shoots should be removed to promote the growth of the crest.

Propagation: Grafting,  It can also be increased by cuttings, which will take root in a minimum temperature of 20° C. Cuttings of healthy shoots can be taken in the spring and summer, Cut the stem with a sharp, sterile knife, leave the cutting in a warm, dry place for a week or weeks (depending on how thick the cutting is) until a callus forms over the wound. Once the callus forms, the cutting may be inserted in a container filled with firmed cactus potting mix topped with a surface layer of coarse grit. They should be placed in the coarse grit only; this prevents the cut end from becoming too wet and allows the roots to penetrate the rich compost underneath. The cuttings should root in 2 to 6 weeks.

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.