[120] Echinopsis Species, Hedgehog Cactus
Introduction
Echinopsis is a large genus of cactus plants grown indoors in the UK as houseplants. Their flowers are rare but spectacular.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Order – Caryophyllales
Family – Cactaceae
Subfamily – Cactoideae
Tribe – Trichocreeae
Genus – Echinopsis
Scientific Name – Echinopsis species
Name
Cactus comes via Latin from the ancient Greek kaktos, a name used by Theophrastus (c 371 to 287 BC) for a spiny plant of unknown identity.
Cacti
There are about 2 000 species of Cacti (Singular: Cactus) in the family Cactaceae. With minor exceptions, all are succulents adapted to dry conditions. They are spiny but have no leaves. Following recent research, the subdivisions of Cactaceae are likely to be changed.
Some other plants like Aloes and [312] Stonecrops are succulent but not cacti.
Echinopsis
Echinopsis is a typical cactus with an enlarged horizontally serrated stem, no leaves, and viciously pointed sharp spines.
The side stems are similar but are rounded at both ends. When only a few centimetres long, these grow roots and they can be detached and planted (very carefully, with thick gloves) to form a new plant.
I bought a Hedgehog cactus 45 years ago and the pictures above are from a granddaughter (or grandson) produced by two generations of this budding process. it is not old enough yet to produce flowers but the original plant did flower when it was about thirty years old. The flowers are very impressive.
It takes a few days for the long flower stalk to emerge and the flowers, when they do open, are short-lived. They are at their best in the middle of the night. I think it flowers again every three years. (There is a three-year gap between the pairs of pictures above.)
Unfortunately, I cannot identify the species of this plant, so I will call it Echinopsis species.
Habitat and use
All but one species of cactus are native to America, but some have naturalized outside America. The only exception is a subspecies of Rhipsalis baccifera, believed to have been carried by migrating birds (or possibly very early shipping routes) to central Africa and Sri Lanka.
They are used to very dry, generally hot conditions and you won’t see one outside in Britain. They are not common as house plants except for the many cultivars of Schlumbergera know by names such as Christmas Cactus.
House Plants
This is my only example of a house plant. I wanted to show you the flowers. There are many cultivated species of plants that can be grown as house plants and many of them are just smaller versions of garden plants.
The Species of Britain 