Xerophyte

Description

Oroya borchersiiSN|1494]]SN|1500]] is a solitary or clustering, globular cactus about 20 cm in diameter which is completely covered with thin yellow spines. It is one of the most beautiful species of the genus, and can be described without exaggeration as a jewel of the Peruvian flora. The plants has many ribs, elongate areoles, and pectinately arranged spines. Notable with O. borchersii is the central inflorescence. The small yellow-green or yellow flowers are rarely produced in cultivation.

Note

This species has been named in honour of Dr. Ph. Borchers, leader of a German-Austrian expedition to the Peruvian Andes. They are variable with respect to spination, stem shape, and flower color, probably in part the effects of the intense solar radiation and high elevation.

Flowers

The flowers appear packed closely together at the centre of the globular plant body, they are wholly yellow green to yellow, up to 2 cm long and 1.5 cm in diameter, funnelform to bell shaped, with a very short floral tube and only partially opening.Blooming season. Typical in habitat Oroya borchersiiSN|1500]]SN|1500]] flowers in the so-called winter period which at these altitudes is dry and sunny with extremely low night time temperatures. The seeds would then germinate in the subsequent moist summer season. In cultivation it tend to flower during the day in summer, but infrequently.

Spines

Fine, yellowish to reddish brown, pectinately arranged barely differentiated as centrals and radial 2-2.5 cm long. Radial spines 25-30, thin and needle-like to bristly. Central spines 1-3. The oldest spines at the base of the stem become grey to black with age.

Ribs

Numerous, 12-30. The ribs are completely hidden behind the spines.

Stem

Globose to short cylindrical 12-32 cm tall, 15-22 cm in diameter. As younger plants O. borchersii set close pressed against the ground and are depressed globular. As the plants become older, they exhibit a tendency to extend in height, whereby the bottom becomes more or less corky.

Areoles

Elongate ,brown