Xerophyte

Description

Cleistocactus winteriSN|3784]]SN|3784]], often labelled Hildewintera aureispinaSN|3782]]SN|3782]], is a branching columnar cactus of fairly rapid growth that resembles a very robust version of the popular peanut cactus (Lobivia chamaecereus). It forms soon tangled scrubs of long golden coloured drooping stems and produces vivid orange to salmon-pink flowers. They are repetitively and freely produced on mature plants from spring till frost and can last for several days.

Note

Hildewintera hybridsHildewintera hybrid develops really amazing flowers of different colours on the original pendulous "hildewintera" body and many of these hybrids have cultivar names. This plants form soon spectacular clumps with several flowers at a time and are quite a sight. They are often thicker, stronger, larger growing than Hildewintera aureispinaSN|3782]]SN|3782]] and tend not to have the typical thin stemmed offsets. The offsets produced being more strongly attached to the main stems.

Flowers

Funnel-shaped, tubular, upturned vivid orange to salmon-pink, 4 to 6 cm in length, 5 cm across and very showy. Scale on the tube orange. Outer tepals radiating and bent back, inner ones shorter end upright. Stamens and style exerted.

Spines

About 50 bristly, flexible, straight, golden-yellow to brownish that literally cover the surface of the stems. The 20 or more, powerful central spines are 5 to 10 mm long. The 30 radiating spines are 4 to 10 mm long.

Ribs

16-17.

Stem

Cylindrical, spreading, arching, pendant, or trailing that can grow up to 1,5 metres long and 2.5-6 cm wide with many branches.

Areoles

Brown closely set.