Xerophyte

Central Spines

1-4 black, brown-tipped 0.5- 1 cm. long, later up to up to 6-8(-9)cm long and weakly twisted.

Description

Matucana krahniiSN|6059]]SN|6031]] is a nice little clustering cactus that has a large wonderful bright red flower. This plant was described by John Donald in 1979. It is also known by its synonym Matucana callianthaSN|6059]]SN|6033]], a name given to it initially by Ritter.

Note

The epithet 'krahnii' has been bestowed in honour of Wolfgang Krahn, German cactus collector, travelled in Peru in the 1960s together with Paul C. Hutchison.

Flowers

Zygomorfic tending to lean on one side, diurnal, deep red and lilac coloured, about 7-8 cm long and 5.5-7 cm across.

Blooming Season

Throughout late Spring or early Summer in several flushes over a long period.Related species. Matucana krahnii is closely related to Matucana madisoniorum and Matucana paucicostataSN|6033]]SN|6059]], and some clones will make fairly large clumps relatively rapidly. It freely offsets like Matucana paucicostataSN|6031]]SN|6059]] but tends to have larger softer greener bodies, with long relatively weak twisted spines, but this species shows its superiority when flowering.

Stem

Flattened globular to globular up to 6(-8) cm in diameter and basally clumping, grey-green, with about 18 flattened ribs more or less resolved into conical to round tubercles.

Radial Spines

8 dark brown.