Neglected

[nona]

I've had this specimen sitting neglected for years, perhaps because of its tiny size. Only after taking a close-up picture did I notice it looked quite pretty. Any idea what it is?

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[anttisepp]

Lobivia arachnacantha

[nona]

Lobivia arachnacantha

Thanks. I've started to give it more sun. I notice from pictures they are heavy clumpers. I'll try removing offsets as they appear in the hope it grows.

[esp_imaging]

Lobivia arachnacantha

I notice from pictures they are heavy clumpers. I'll try removing offsets as they appear in the hope it grows.

Why remove offsets? Offsetting is largely HOW this species grows. It's part of the character of the plant.

[greenknight]

They don't get very big individual heads, in time it will form a large clump. It should also bloom freely - and the more heads it has, the more flowers you'll get.

[nona]

They don't get very big individual heads, in time it will form a large clump. It should also bloom freely - and the more heads it has, the more flowers you'll get.

Removing pups won't encourage the body to grow? Currently it's only 2cm and IIRC was itself a pup from a plant about the same size.
I notice the young spines have a red colour. Will that mean the flowers will be red?

[greenknight]

It's a small-bodied species, it puts its energy into producing offset and flowers - blossoms bigger than the cactus stem. Take a look here: http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... chnacantha

The original flower color was yellow to yellow-orange, but plant breeders have developed all sorts of colors. Could be red or purple, just have to wait and see.

[7george]

They don't get very big individual heads, in time it will form a large clump. It should also bloom freely - and the more heads it has, the more flowers you'll get.

Removing pups won't encourage the body to grow? Currently it's only 2cm and IIRC was itself a pup from a plant about the same size.
I notice the young spines have a red colour. Will that mean the flowers will be red?

Each head is 2 - 4 cm thick by desciption so do not expect from it to grow much bigger.

[nona]

They don't get very big individual heads, in time it will form a large clump. It should also bloom freely - and the more heads it has, the more flowers you'll get.

Removing pups won't encourage the body to grow? Currently it's only 2cm and IIRC was itself a pup from a plant about the same size.
I notice the young spines have a red colour. Will that mean the flowers will be red?

Each head is 2 - 4 cm thick by desciption so do not expect from it to grow much bigger.

Thanks for the replies. I just pickup up Lobivia tiegeliana. The nursery label says it grows to 6cm, while some online sources claim it can grow to 15cm. That's quite a range but I guess cultivation and random cross-breeding play a part.

[7george]

These two species are quite similar for me. Cultivation can change their look for sure.