Its native range is Bolivia.[2][3] It is found in dry forest vegetation or covering hillsides, at altitudes of 800–1,300 metres (2,600–4,300 ft) metres above sea level.[5]
Description
Vatricania guentheri is an evergreen, perennial columnar cactus.[3][4][6] It can grow up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall.[3] Branching occurs from the base, with pale green stems up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter.[4]
It has about 27 ribs.[3][4][6]
The flowers are initially borne in a cephalium (reddish brown wool,[4]) running down from the crown (top of the plant) on one side, of the branches,[3] later in a superficial dome cephalium.[6] It blooms during the early summer and develops yellowish whitish flowers that get up to 8 cm long and 5–3 cm (2–1 in) in diameter.[3]
The flowers are yellowish white areoles or funnel shaped flowers,[4] with 25 spines, 5–22 mm (0–1 in) long.[3][4] It has edible fruit.[4]
Taxonomy
Flower of the plant
The genus was first described and published in 1950 by Curt Backeberg.[2] The genus name Vatricania is in honour of Louis Félix Vatrican (1904–2007), an agricultural engineer from Monaco, director of the national Jardin Exotique.[7] The genus is placed in the tribe Trichocereinae.[8]
In publishing the genus name, Backeberg designated Cephalocereus guentheri as the type species, although he did not actually use the combination Vatricania guentheri,[9] which he published in 1951. Cephalocereus guentheri was first described by Kupper in 1931.[1] The Latin specific epithetguentheri refers to Ernesto Günther of Valparaíso, Chile, who financed the expedition in Bolivia during which Carl Troll discovered the species. Kupper originally spelled the epithet Güntheri.[10]
The species was lumped into Espostoa in 1959.[11][5][12] A hybrid origin was suggested as there are differences from Espostoa.[13] Molecular evidence suggests that Espostoa is not the correct placement for this species.[11]
Cultivation
Cephalium
Can be grown in the USA,[4] in Zone USDA: 9b-11.[3]
It can survive a minimum average temperature of 55°F (12°C) and can tolerate positions in full sun.[3]
^Reto Nyffeler & Urs Eggli (2010): A farewell to dated ideas and concepts: molecular phylogenetics and a revised suprageneric classification of the family Cactaceae. Schumannia 6: 109-149
^Backeberg, Curt (1950), "Nova genera et subgenera", Cactus and Succulent Journal, 22 (5): 153–154, retrieved 2023-10-16
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