CoronaCactus Nursery: Plant of the Month

Form: Its habitat is South America, northeast of Bagua, Amazonas, Peru, in the Mara��n River Valley. Matucana madisoniorum is a small globose to cylindrical cactus. Lightish green body has very fine hairs giving it a velvet appearance and to the touch. Tubercles can be lumpy and somewhat resemble ribs, or they can be smooth with well defined ribs. The spines can be erratic. Long or short, many to few, grey to white to black. They usually curve around in different directions, rarely straight. It�s generally a solitary plant, but can offset with age.

Size: Typically growing to around 4� in diameter and 6� tall. But cultivated plants can reach larger sizes. Offsets, if any, are produced from the base of the main stem. Usually starting just below soil level.

Flowers/Fruit: The flowers of Matucana madisoniorum are long funnel form and tubular shaped with the face of the flower pointing horizontally (Zygomorphic). Red to dark orange, the flowers form at the apex from new areoles. They can have an almost fluorescent sheen to the them making them quite attractive. The buds start as little white/grey furry balls. The plant will usually flower profusely all summer and can flower just about all year round. The fruit is dry and very fragile. The sides eventually split open forming a cage and allowing the seeds to dribble down the side of the plant. �

Sun/Water: Matucana madisoniorum should be protected from full sun. Not being very spiney, it does not have the means to protect it�s epidermis from sunburn. Strong light or morning sun is good. Water moderately during the summer allowing the soil to dry between waterings and keep dry during the cold winter months. Avoid frost and keep above 45-50F.

Propagation: Seed or offsets, but these plants only sometimes offset. Fruit does not take very long to ripen. About 30 days.

Books/Websites: Some excellent information can be found in the book: The Genus Matucana by Rob Bregmann. Unfortunately now out of print, but some used copies can be found. Detailed online information about this species is hard to come by. More websites can be found on our Reference Links page.

Matucana madisoniorum v. albiflora

In all respects this form is identical to M. madisoniorum until it flowers. Pure white to shades of off-white makes for a very attractive flower. This white flower form can also show a slight fluorescent sheen on the petals. In the book, The Genus Matucana by Rob Bregman. He believes the first occurrence of the white flower form came from Mesa Gardens in Belen, New Mexico. A long time seed vendor. Presumed to be a mutant, it was separated and propagated for its attractive white flowers.

Usually blooming from the apex areoles, this plant decided to bloom from a side areole.

Matucana pujupatii (Donald & A.B.Lau) Bregmann 1988
Synonyms: Borzicactus madisoniorum var. pujupatii, Matucana madisoniorum var. pujupatii

In close relation to M. madisoniorum, this plant, also coming from Peru (Cajamarca) some still consider to be a variety of

M. madisoniorum. Its appearance is very much like that of M. madisoniorum but shows more a cylindrical body shape earlier, does not really show the very fine hairs for that velvet appearance and its flowers are a very bright red with a very obvious fluorescent sheen. This plant also offsets quite readily.

A Note on the Genus Matucana (Cactaceae), by Rob Bregmann � 1988

Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum, Berlin-Dahlem

The name Matucana pujupatii is formed based on Matucana madisoniorum var. pujupatii. Besides differences in geographic distribution, and stem and floral morphology, this change is founded mainly upon differences in seed characters. The principal characteristics distinguishing M. pujupatii and M. madisoniorum are enumerated.

Rob Bergmann note borrowed from the JSTOR website

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The photo on the left is from 9-2008. The pup is just starting to put on some size.

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The photo on the right is from 7-2009. The pup has grown quite a bit in 10 months and the main stem is clearly leaning now. (Also due to other pups not seen in the photo)

A good example of how these plants can bloom almost any time of year given the right conditions.

Matucana madisoniorum (Hutchison) G. D. Rowley 1971

Synonyms: Eomatucana madisoniorum, Loxanthocereus madisoniorum, Submatucana madisoniorum, Borzicactus madisoniorum

These plants can bloom almost all year round. These 3 photos are from buds forming in December.

Here are the now open flowers from the photos above, a few days after Christmas.

This is how to tell them apart if they get mixed up!

This photo really shows the fluorescent sheen on the petals.

Fleshy fruit, but no pulp. The sides of the fruit slowly peel back and spread apart as it ripens and dries up.

December 2007

6.5� pot

July 2009

8.5� pot

July 2009

8.5� pot

All photos taken are from our personal collection or our sales plants.

(Except where noted)

Plant of the Month Archives

June 2008 � Cylindropuntia bigelovii

July 2008 � Ferocactus cylindraceus var. cylindraceus

August 2008 � Echinocereus engelmannii

November 2008 � Pachypodium namaquanum

December 2008 � Copiapoa humilis ssp. humilis

January 2009 � Turbinicarpus lophophoroides

February 2009 � Astrophytum asterias

March 2009 � Euphorbia obesa

April 2009 � Thelocactus bicolor

May 2009 � Mammillaria theresae

June 2009 � Opuntia scheeri

July 2009 � Eriosyce occulta

August 2009 � Matucana madisoniorum

All photos are property of CoronaCactus Nursery LLC.� (except where noted)�� 7-17-09

All article text is property of CoronaCactus Nursery LLC.

Any reproduction, in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.