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.

Notocactus haselbergii: the nice and rare crested form .
It is a very popular cactus with silvery white spines. It is a heavy bloomer that can sport showy deep orange flowers for a long period of time.
 

Description: Solitary, fast growing, little cactus.
Stem: ± Spherical flattened, bright green, almost completely concealed by dense spines, up to 10 cm tall, 15 cm in diameter. The crown of the plant is usually set at an angle to prevent water-sitting.
Ribs: About 30, low.
Areoles: With a short white wool, they are arranged geometrically.
Spines: Silvery white, eventually with a yellowish tip, soft, bristly.
Flowers: Bright orange to brick-red up to 2 cm wide and each can last one to three weeks.
Blooming season: It flowers at the end of the winter or in early spring for a long period of time ( It can last blooming to two months!). Will start flowering around 5 cm in diameter.

This is a very distinctive plant even without flowers.

Propagation: This plant can be propagated only vegetatively by grafting or cuttings.
 

Advertising

Notocactus haselbergii (F.Haage ex Rümpler) A. Berger 1929

Accepted Scientific Name: Parodia haselbergii (F. Haage ex Rümpler) F. H. Brandt 1982
forma cristata

Origin:  Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar). The standard species comes from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Common English Names include: 'Crested Scarlet Ball'

Conservation status: Listed in CITES Appendix II

Synonyms:

• Echinocactus haselbergii F. Haage ex Rümpler 1885
• Malacocarpus haselbergii (F. Haage ex Rümpler) Britton & Rose 1922
• Brasilicactus haselbergii (F.Haage ex Rümpler) Backeberg ex Schoff 1942
• Echinocactus elachisanthus F. A. C. Weber 1904
• Notocactus elachisanthus (F. A. C. Weber) Herter 1942
• Brasilicactus elachisanthus (F. A. C. Weber) Backeberg 1959
• Parodia elachisantha (F. A. C. Weber) F. H. Brandt 1982

Etymology:  Named after the collector Dr. F. von Haselberg.
 

Cultivation: It is easy to grow.  It  prefers a neutral to slightly acidic mineral-based potting mix with a good drainage. It likes a warm bright location, does great in partial shade but doesn't like full, hot blazing sun in the central summer month. Can support quite some water during the growing season but pot plants in winter are wet-sensitive and needs to be kept dry  (rots easily if soil is wet and cold) tends to lose its roots in winter. Usually it is recommended to over-winter this plant in a bright and warm greenhouse with at least 8-10° C , but it has proved to tolerate temperatures as low as -5° C for short periods.  It is susceptible to spider mites, so it should be check once in a while for it.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Notocactus scopa complex:

• Notocactus scopa (Parodia scopa)
• Notocactus scopa "inermis" (Parodia scopa 'inermis')
• Notocactus scopa "inermis" forma cristata (Parodia scopa 'inermis' cristata)
• Notocactus rudibuenekeri "ALBISSIMO" (Parodia scopa 'rudibueneckeri)
• Notocactus schlosseri (Parodia erubescens)
• Notocactus schlosseri  forma cristata (Parodia erubescens cristata)
• Notocactus sulphureus ( P. scopa succinea)

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.