Espostoa NANA

Espostoa NANA - Dwarf espostoa, Espostoa nana.

The genus was described by Nathaniel Britton and Joseph Rose in 1920. It was named in honor of the Peruvian botanist N. Esposto.

Currently, the genus Espostoa is considered to include 16 species. These are tree-like or shrubby, slow-growing cacti. They are distributed in southern Ecuador and central Peru, where they grow on dry mountain slopes and become quite large, up to 5 m (16.4 ft) in height. At a young age, espostoas resemble cephalocerei, the "old man cactus", but their white hair-spines are finer and do not hang down, but rather wrap around the stem. However, they also have true spines, varied in color (from white and beige to reddish) and quite sharp.

Flowers develop on sufficiently mature plants in a lateral woolly cephalium and open at night. The flowers are typically white and resemble large bell-shaped blossoms (up to 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter). The resulting fruits are large and fleshy. In indoor conditions, however, young specimens of Espostoa are usually kept, where, just as in Cephalocereus, the main attraction is not the flowers, but the distinctive "hairdo".

Espostoa nana has small dimensions and such continuous pubescence that from the side it resembles a woven tangle of numerous snow-white hairs.

Seeds are sown over a mixture of leaf mold and coarse river sand. Flat, wide shallow pans or a propagator with bottom heat are used. Expanded clay, pre-scalded with boiling water, is placed at the bottom of the pan. The mixture of leaf mold and sand, also pre-steamed in an oven, is poured over the expanded clay. The seeds germinate under humid conditions in light at a temperature of 21-24 °C (70-75 °F).

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The care process for the plant presents no particular difficulties. However, for stable growth and optimal development, it is desirable to bring indoor conditions as close as possible to its native habitat.

Espostoa requires a highly nutritious mineral substrate, plenty of sun, and warmth. During morning and evening hours, fine misting is beneficial. Like cephalocerei, espostoas are highly sensitive to excess moisture because they possess a weak root system. Their growth periods occur in spring and autumn. Wintering must take place in a dry, cool regime. They grow slowly; to accelerate growth, they are grafted onto vigorous Cereus rootstocks.