Notocactus HERTERI

Notocactus HERTERI - Herter's notocactus, Notocactus herteri, Parodia.

Notocactus is a genus of plants in the cactus family (Cactaceae), which modern taxonomy has entirely included in the genus Parodia. The name Notocactus remains in wide use, however, and seeds are almost always sold under it.

In nature, these cacti grow on highlands and in the foothills of Paraguay, Southern Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. Their stem is solitary, short-cylindrical or globose, up to 1 m (3.3 ft) high in adult specimens, dark green, with well-defined ribs. Most species do not form branches or offsets. On the crests of the ribs sit numerous small tubercles with pubescent areoles, from which emerge clusters of spines: from 1 to 5 brownish-red central and up to 40 short yellow radial ones.

Notocacti bloom early and very abundantly, with flowers large relative to the size of the plant. They form in the upper part of the stem or right at the apex. The flower is polypetalous, bell-shaped or funnel-shaped, and the thick short fleshy floral tube is densely covered with spines and bristles. The coloration can be yellow, orange, or red, petal bases are usually contrasting or more saturated, and stigmas are more often reddish. An open flower lasts about a week.

Herter's notocactus is a species with a depressed-globose stem up to 15 cm (6 in) across, light green, with 22 ribs. The apex of an adult plant is covered with short white woolly down.

There are 8-11 radial spines, transparently white, and 4-6 central spines, up to 2 cm (0.8 in) long, reddish-brown in hue. The flowers are up to 4 cm (1.6 in) long, purplish-red, which is a rarity for the genus: in most notocacti they are yellow. Often the flowers form a continuous crown at the apex.

Notocactus seeds are small, dark, ripening in dry fruits at the apex of the stem. Before sowing, they are disinfected by soaking in a weak pink solution of potassium permanganate for 24 hours. Scarification and stratification are not required.

Sowing is carried out in a substrate of completely rotted leaf mold, coarse sand, and charcoal in a ratio of 1:1:0.5. The soil and seed dishes must be sanitized beforehand. The substrate is not compacted; seeds are spread across the surface and lightly dusted with sand. Moistening can be done by bottom watering or from a spray bottle with a growth stimulant solution: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminosol, Epin, or Zircon. The dish is covered with glass or placed in a propagator and set in a bright warm place, but not in direct sun, maintaining a temperature of 25-27 °C (77-81 °F).