Columnar Cacti - Arrojadoa

Arrojadoa

Arrojadoa: (Britton & Rose, 1920) Subfamily Cactoideae, tribe Cereeae. Plants low, shrubby, branching basally, little branched erect, semierect, or creeping. Roots tuberous or not. Stems slender, cylindical, sometimes segmented, green, to 2m (6.6 ft) long, 0.5-5cm (0.2-2in) in diameter. Ribs 7-17. Areoles close set. Spines small, often bristly. Apical flowering cephalia produced following each season's vegetative growth, producing ring-like clusters of white wool and redish bristles; vegetative growth can resume following flowering. Flowers often bourne in clusters from the apical cephalia, open during the day, bird pollinated, red, pink, purple, violet, yellow or white, tubular to 4.5cm (1.8 in) long; pericarpels and floral tubes naked; perianth barely expanding; stamens and styles included. Fruits berrylike, globose to pear-shaped, smooth, naked, juicy, purple, pink, rose or red, with white pulp, to 2 cm (0.8in) in diameter. Seeds ovoid to pear-shaped, black, tuberculate, to 1.5mm long. Distribution: eastern Brazil.

These cacti come from dry places in Brazil. They are rather frost tender plants that I keep at 40 degrees F. or higher. Water them less than average if in bigger pots, small pots prefered. Named in honor of Dr. Miguel Arrojado Lisboa to whom Brazil is indebted for the extensive botanical exploration of the semi-arid regions.

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Arrojadoa albiflora HU401 Urandi 1070m. according to AH, a hybrid between A.rhodantha and A.multiflora. Cutting was donated by James Pickering, Tucson, AZ. Flowering plant in the collection of AWM	Arrojadoa aureispina (Buin.& Bred.) HU154 N.W. Caitite 200m	Arrojadoa nana = A.dinae ssp. nana form albicoronata HU611 Grao Mogol Minas Gerais