Echinopsis

Echinopsis
Echinopsis spachiana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Tribe:	Trichocereeae
Genus:	Echinopsis Zucc.
Species
around 180, see text

Echinopsis is a large genus of cacti native to South America, sometimes known as hedgehog cacti, sea-urchin cactus or Easter lily cactus. One small species, E. chamaecereus, is known as the peanut cactus. The 128 species range from large and treelike types to small globose cacti. The name derives from echinos hedgehog or sea urchin, and opsis appearance, a reference to these plants' dense coverings of spines.

Echinopsis is distinguished from Echinocactus by the length of the flower tube,^{[citation needed]} from Cereus by the form and size of their stems,^{[citation needed]} and from both in the position on the stem occupied by the flowers. They are remarkable for the great size, length of tube, and beauty of their flowers, which, borne upon generally small and dumpy stems, appear much larger and more attractive than would be expected.

Distribution

Echinopsis species are native to South America (Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay). They grow only in situations where the soil is sandy or gravelly, or on the sides of hills in the crevices of rocks.

Cultivation

The growing and resting seasons for Echinopsis are the same as for Echinocactus.^{[citation needed]} Research by J. Smith (former Curator at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) showed that species like the Chilean Echinopsis cristata and its Mexican relatives thrive if potted in light loam, with a little leaf mould and a few nodules of limestone. The limestone keeps the soil open; it is important that the soil should be well drained. In winter, water must be given very sparingly, and the atmosphere should be dry; the temperature need not exceed 10°C during the night, and in very cold weather it may be allowed to fall to 5°C, provided a higher temperature of 14°C is maintained during the day. In spring, the plants should receive the full influence of the increasing warmth of the sun; and during hot weather, they will be benefited by frequent spraying overhead, which should be done in the evening. The soil should never be saturated, as the soft fibrous roots will rot if kept wet for any length of time.

None of the species need to be grafted to grow freely and remain healthy, as the stems are all robust enough and of sufficient size to take care of themselves. The only danger is in keeping the plants too moist in winter, for although a little water now and again keeps the stems fresh and green, it deprives them of that rest which is essential to the development of their large, beautiful flowers in summer.

Psychoactive properties

Several cacti in the genus Echinopsis have been demonstrated to contain the psychedelic alkaloid mescaline and have a long history of traditional use for psychotherapeutic, spiritual, and medicinal purposes. An unknown Echinopsis species (likely E. pachanoi or E. bridgesii) sometimes referred to as "The Cactus of the Four Winds" is said to have potently psychedelic effects. This cactus has four ribs, supposedly an indicator of higher potency; however, it is not uncommon for cacti in the genus Echinopsis to change their rib configurations, with some alternating between a four- and six-rib configuration. Modern analysis has not yet shown any link between the number of ribs and alkaloid content. The suggestion that a square (four-ribbed) plant is "more powerful" might be entirely metaphorical and relate to a native cultural value rather than actual alkaloid content.

Taxonomy changes

Studies in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in several formerly separate genera being absorbed into Echinopsis:

• Acantholobivia Backeb.
• Acanthopetalus Y.Itô
• Andenea Fric (nom. inval.)
• Aureilobivia Fric (nom. inval.)
• Chamaecereus Britton & Rose
• Chamaelobivia Y.Itô (nom. inval.)
• Cinnabarinea Fric ex F.Ritter
• Echinolobivia Y.Itô (nom. inval.)
• Echinonyctanthus Lem.
• Furiolobivia Y.Itô (nom. inval.)
• Helianthocereus Backeb
• Heterolobivia Y.Itô (nom. inval.)
• Hymenorebulobivia Fric (nom. inval.)
• Hymenorebutia Fric ex Buining
• Leucostele Backeb.
• Lobirebutia Fric (nom. inval.)
• Lobivia Britton & Rose
• Lobiviopsis Fric (nom. inval.)
• Megalobivia Y.Itô (nom. inval.)
• Mesechinopsis Y.Itô
• Neolobivia Y.Itô
• Pilopsis Y.Itô (nom. inval.)
• Pseudolobivia (Backeb.) Backeb.
• Rebulobivia Fric (nom. inval.)
• Salpingolobivia Y.Itô
• Scoparebutia Fric & Kreuz. ex Buining
• Setiechinopsis (Backeb.) de Haas
• Soehrensia Backeb.
• Trichocereus (A.Berger) Riccob.

Some have proposed merging Rebutia as well.

Like several other taxonomic changes in Cactaceace, this one has not been universally liked and accepted by amateur and professional growers; names like Echinopsis (in the older sense), Lobivia, Setiechinopsis and Trichocereus are still in common use, while many of the others listed above fell out of common usage long before the change.

The taxonomic changes have been criticised by K. Trout, in particular the inclusion of the genus Trichocereus, and the formation of a huge, complex new genus without an accompanying monograph. Some problems also arose due to namespace collision when this merger was made. Most notably, there had previously existed both Echinopsis bridgesii and Trichocereus bridgesii, which are very different plants. Echinopsis bridgesii is a short clumping cactus, whereas Trichocereus bridgesii is a tall columnar cactus similar to E. (or T.) pachanoi. Under the new classification, Trichocereus bridgesii is known as Echinopsis lageniformis.

Species

Note: some of the species listed below may be synonyms, subspecies, or varieties of others.

Echinopsis adolfofriedrichii G. Moser Echinopsis amoenissima Werdermann Echinopsis ancistrophora Spegazzini Echinopsis angelesii (R. Kiesling) G. D. Rowley Echinopsis antezanae (Cárdenas) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis apiculata Linke Echinopsis arboricola (Kimnach) R. Mottram Echinopsis arebaloi Cárdenas Echinopsis atacamensis (Philippi) H. Friedrich & G.D. Rowley Echinopsis aurata Salm-Dyck Echinopsis aurea Britton & Rose Echinopsis backebergia Werdermann Echinopsis baldiana Spegazzini Echinopsis berlingii Y. Ito Echinopsis bertramiana (Backeberg) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis bolligeriana Mächler & Helmut Walter Echinopsis bonnieae (Halda, Hogan & Janeba) Halda & Malina Echinopsis boyuibensis F. Ritter Echinopsis brasilensis A. V. Frič Echinopsis bridgesii Salm-Dyck (not to be confused with E. lageniformis, which is also known as Trichocereus bridgesii) Echinopsis bruchii (Britton & Rose) H. Friedrich & Glaetzle Echinopsis cabrerae (R. Kiesling) G. D. Rowley Echinopsis caineana (Cárdenas) D. R. Hunt Echinopsis cajasensis F. Ritter Echinopsis calliantholilacina Cárdenas Echinopsis callichroma Cárdenas Echinopsis calochlora K. Schumann Echinopsis camarguensis (Cárdenas) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis campylacantha Pfeiffer & Otto Echinopsis candicans (Salm-Dyck) F. A. C. Weber Echinopsis cardenasiana (Rausch) H. Friedrich Echinopsis caulescens (F. Ritter) M. Lowry Echinopsis cephalomacrostibas (Werdermann & Backeberg) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis cerdana Cárdenas Echinopsis chalaensis (Rauh & Backeberg) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis chamaecereus H. Friedrich & W. Glaetzle Echinopsis chereauniana Schlumb. Echinopsis chiloensis (Colla) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis chrysantha Werdermann Echinopsis chrysochete Werdermann Echinopsis cinnabarina (Hooker) Labouret Echinopsis clavata (F. Ritter) D. R. Hunt Echinopsis cochabambensis Backeberg Echinopsis colmariensis Hort. Echinopsis comarapana Cárdenas Echinopsis conaconensis (Cárdenas) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis coquimbana (Molina) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis coronata Cárdenas Echinopsis cotacajesii Cárdenas Echinopsis crassicaulis (R. Kiesling) H. Friedrich & Glaetzle Echinopsis cristata Salm-Dyck Echinopsis cuzcoensis (Britton & Rose) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis cylindracea (Backeberg) Friedrich Echinopsis decaisniana Walp. Echinopsis densispina Werdermann Echinopsis derenbergii A. V. Frič Echinopsis deserticola (Werdermann) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis escayachensis (Cárdenas) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis eyriesii Pfeiffer & Otto Echinopsis fabrisii (R.Kiesling) G. D. Rowley Echinopsis famatimensis (Spegazzini) Werdermann Echinopsis ferox (Britton & Rose) Backeberg Echinopsis formosa (Pfeiffer) Jacobi Echinopsis friedrichii G. D. Rowley Echinopsis gibbosa Pfeiffer Echinopsis gigantea Rud. Meyer Echinopsis gladispina Y. Ito Echinopsis glauca (F. Ritter) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis glaucina H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis haematantha (Spegazzini) J. G. Lamb. Echinopsis hahniana (Backeberg) R. S. Wallace Echinopsis hamatispina Werdermann Echinopsis hammerschmidii Cárdenas Echinopsis hertrichiana (Backeberg) D. R. Hunt Echinopsis hossei Werdermann Echinopsis huascha (F. A. C. Weber) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis huotti Labour. Echinopsis hystrichoides F. Ritter Echinopsis ibicuatensis Cárdenas Echinopsis imperialis Hort. Echinopsis jajoiana Hort. Echinopsis jamessianus Hort. Echinopsis kladiwaiana Rausch Echinopsis klingleriana Cárdenas Echinopsis knotti Schlumberger Echinopsis knuthiana (Backeberg) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis korethroides Werdermann Echinopsis lageniformis (Forst.) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley (formerly Trichocereus bridgesii) Echinopsis lamprochlora F. A. C. Weber Echinopsis lateritia Gürke Echinopsis leucantha Walpers

Echinopsis litoralis (Johow) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley (syn.: E.chiloensis (Colla) subsp. litoralis (Johow)Lowry) Echinopsis lorethroides Werdermann Echinopsis macrodiscus Frič Echinopsis macrogona (S.D.) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis mamillosa Gürke Echinopsis marsoneri Werdermann Echinopsis mataranensis Cárdenas Echinopsis maximiliana Heyder Echinopsis melanacantha A. Dietr. Echinopsis meyeri Heese Echinopsis mieckleyi Rud. Meyer Echinopsis mihanovichii Frič & Gurcke Echinopsis minuana Spegazzini Echinopsis mirabilis Spegazzini Echinopsis misleyi J. Labouret Echinopsis molesta Spegazzini Echinopsis nigra Backeberg Echinopsis nigrispina Walp. Echinopsis nodosa Linke Echinopsis obrepanda (Salm-Dyck) K. Schum. Echinopsis octacantha Muehlenpf. Echinopsis oxygona Pfeiff. & Otto Echinopsis pachanoi (Britton & Rose) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis pampana (Britton & Rose) D. R. Hunt Echinopsis pectinata Fennel Echinopsis pelecygona Y. Ito Echinopsis pentlandii (W. J. Hooker) Salm-Dyck ex A. Dietrich Echinopsis peruviana (Britton & Rose) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis picta Walp. Echinopsis pojoensis Cárdenas Echinopsis pseudomammillosa Cárdenas Echinopsis pugionacantha Rose & F. Boedeker Echinopsis pulchella Zucc. Echinopsis quadratiumbonata (F. Ritter) D. R. Hunt Echinopsis reichenbachiana Pfeiff. Echinopsis rhodotricha K. Schumann Echinopsis riviere-de-caraltii Cárdenas Echinopsis robinsoniana Werdermann Echinopsis rubescens Backeberg Echinopsis salmiana F. A. C. Weber Echinopsis salpigophara A. C. Lemaire Echinopsis saltensis Spegazzini Echinopsis sanguiniflora (Backeberg) D. R. Hunt Echinopsis santaensis (Rauh & Backeberg) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis schelhasii Pfeiff. & Otto Echinopsis schickendantzii F. A. C. Weber Echinopsis schieliana (Backeberg) D. R. Hunt Echinopsis schoenii (Rauh & Backeberg) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis schreiteri (Castellanos) Werdermann Echinopsis scopa Carrière Echinopsis scopulicola (F. Ritter) R. Mottram Echinopsis setosa Linke Echinopsis silvestrii Spegazzini Echinopsis simplex Niedl Echinopsis skottsbergii (Backeberg) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis smrziana Backeberg Echinopsis spachiana (A. C. Lemaire) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis spegazzinii K. Schumann Echinopsis sphacelata Gravis Echinopsis spinibarbis (Otto) A. E. Hoffmann Echinopsis strausii Graessn. Echinopsis strigosa (Salm-Dyck) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis subdenudata Cárdenas Echinopsis sucrensis Cárdenas Echinopsis tacaquirensis (Vaupel) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis tacuarembense J. Arechavaleta Echinopsis taratensis (Cárdenas) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis tarijensis (Vaupel) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis tarmaensis (Rauh & Backeberg) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis tegeleriana (Backeberg) D. R. Hunt Echinopsis tephracantha Hort. Echinopsis terscheckii (A. A. Parmentier) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis thelegona (F. A. C. Weber) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis thelegonoides (Spegazzini) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis thionantha (Spegazzini) D. R. Hunt Echinopsis tiegeliana (Wessner) D. R. Hunt Echinopsis trichosa (Cárdenas) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis tricolor A. G. Dietrich Echinopsis tuberculata Niedt Echinopsis tubiflora J. G. Zuccarini Echinopsis tucumanensis Y. Ito Echinopsis tulhuayacensis (Ochoa) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis tunariensis (Cárdenas) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis uyupampensis (Backeberg) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis vasquezii (Rausch) G. D. Rowley Echinopsis vatteri (R. Kiesling) G. D. Rowley Echinopsis verschaffeltii Hort. Echinopsis volliana (Backeberg) H. Friedrich & G. D. Rowley Echinopsis walteri (R. Kiesling) H. Friedrich & W. Glaetzle Echinopsis werdermannii Frič Echinopsis yuquina D. R. Hunt Echinopsis zuccarinii Pfeiff. & Otto

Many hybrids exist, mostly between similar species but also between more distinct ones, such as the cross between E. pachanoi and E. eyriesii which was sold under the name "Trichopsis pachaniesii" by Sacred Succulents.

Gallery

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  Echinopsis cristata var. purpurea

  Plate number 4521 from Curtis's Botanical Magazine

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  Echinopsis eyriesii visited by a European honeybee; Kfar Blum Kibbutz garden, Israel.

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  Echinopsis huascha Botanical Garden Meran

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  Echinopsis chiloensis

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  Echinopsis ferox c-3311

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  Echinopsis Thelegona

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  Echinopsis backebergii

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  Echinopsis bruchii

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  Echinopsis oxygona

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  Echinopsis yuquina

General references

• Edward F. Anderson, The Cactus Family (Timber Press, 2001) ISBN 0-88192-498-9, pp. 255–286
• K. Trout, Trout's Notes on San Pedro & related Trichocereus species (Sacred Cacti 3rd ed. Part B) (Moksha Press, 2005) ISBN 0-9770876-0-3

External links

• Cactus Culture for Amateurs by W. Watson (1889)
• SucculentCity: Plant Profiles, Photographs & Cultivation Data
• Growing Trichocereus species (Plot55.com)
• IPNI
• Kuentz: Echinopsis (in French)
• Lohmueller: Echinopsis
• Mattslandscape; Echinopsis hybrids-growing culture