Notocactus ottonis var. venclusianus is the red-flowered form of the popular South American ball cactus, a species today placed in Parodia ottonis. Where the ordinary species opens satin-yellow flowers with red stigma lobes, this form carries blooms in warm red tones vermilion, salmon, pink-red, sometimes shading towards purple with matching red anthers. It is worth being precise about its origin: while the species grows wild in southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina, this red-flowered form has never been found in the wild. It arose from seed raised in a Czech nursery and was named cv. ‘Venclu’ by Havlek in 1993; the commercial name venclusianus is retained here.
The plant is solitary at first, forming a flattened globose stem some 610 cm across, glossy dark green, with about 1012 low rounded ribs, thin flexible radial spines and 34 slightly stronger centrals. Flowering begins remarkably early, often in the second or third year from sowing, and the funnel-shaped flowers of 45 cm open over several days in spring and summer. A characteristic of the ottonis group is its habit of producing offsets from the lateral roots, so that in time a single plant builds a small colony around itself.
Red flowers with red anthers the red-flowered counterpart of the normally yellow Parodia ottonis
Flowers young, frequently within 23 years from seed
Flattened globose stems to about 10 cm, offsetting from the lateral roots to form clumps
Seed-raised plants vary in flower shade, from salmon and vermilion to pink-red and purple
Easy and forgiving: quick from seed and undemanding once established
Sow in spring or summer at 2025 C on a gritty, free-draining mix; germination is fast, usually within one to three weeks. Keep the seedlings humid and lightly shaded until they are pricked out. Adult plants want bright light with shade in the hottest hours, generous water through the growing season with the compost drying out between waterings, and a completely dry winter rest at 810 C it is this cool dry period that sets the flower buds. Keep frost-free.
IMPORTANT: Pictures show the adult plant, which is not for sale. The offer is only for seeds.
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