Xerophyte

Habit

It grows in habitat to about 2 m high and will branch in age from the base and may have as many as fifteen branches.

Description

Espostoa guentheriSN|6818]]SN|6818]] (syn

Note

Espostoa guentheriSN|6818]]SN|6818]] was placed in its own genus Vatricania because it occurs in eastern Bolivia whereas all the Espostoas occur in Peru. It is probably polyphyletic because it is more closely related to Cleistocactus and Echinopsis huotiiSN|8137]]SN|8137]] than to the other Espostoa species.

Cephalium

Lateral, up to 50 cm long, and 6-7 cm thick, that on average in mature specimens, occupies about half of the ribs, brownish, with reddish-brown to grey wool, reddish bristles and many spines 4-6 cm long. The cephalium, which is a zone of long, fine spines, first occurs superficially on one side of the stem but eventually grows to completely encircle the top of the plant often making them resemble elongated leeches. This can he achieved in a glasshouse but takes many years since the plant tends to he slow growing in cultivation. The cephalium is often oriented in only one direction, but now and then different branches will have cephalia facing in different directions. Given that this species inhabits proximity to the equator, where there is no evident advantage to orientation in any particular direction.

Flowers

Campanulate to tubular, yellowish or whitish up to 8 cm long, 2,5-3 cm in diameter pericarpels and floral tubes with fine pinkish wool.

Blooming Season

The flowers come in early summer.

Spines

15-25 spines, 5-22 mm long straw yellow.

Ribs

27, barely tuberculate.

Stem

Pale green, erect, up to 2(-3) m tall and 10 cm in diameter.

Fruits

Roundish, scaly edible but not particularly tasty or sweet of odd texture and a flavour that ranges from indifferent to strange.

Areoles

Yellowish white, woolly, spaced about 1 cm on the rib.