''Echinopsis'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

cacti A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...

to South America, sometimes known as hedgehog cactus, sea-urchin cactus or Easter lily cactus. , there are about 20 accepted species, ranging from large and treelike types to small globose cacti. The name derives from ''echinos'' hedgehog or

sea urchin Sea urchins or urchins () are echinoderms in the class (biology), class Echinoidea. About 950 species live on the seabed, inhabiting all oceans and depth zones from the intertidal zone to deep seas of . They typically have a globular body cove ...

, and ''opsis'' appearance, a reference to these plants' dense coverings of spines. They are remarkable for the great size, length of tube, and beauty of their flowers, borne upon generally small and dumpy stems.

Taxonomy

Studies in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in several formerly separate genera being absorbed into ''Echinopsis''. When very broadly

circumscribed In geometry, a circumscribed circle for a set of points is a circle passing through each of them. Such a circle is said to ''circumscribe'' the points or a polygon formed from them; such a polygon is said to be ''inscribed'' in the circle. * Circum ...

, ''Echinopsis''

sensu lato ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...

included over 100 species. Some genera have been absorbed and then accepted again. For example, the genus name ''

Trichocereus ''Trichocereus'' is a genus of Cactus, cacti native species, native to South America (Bolivia, northern Chile, Ecuador and Peru). Species , Plants of the World Online accepted three species: References External links

* * Cacti of So ...

'' was given to a number of columnar cacti in 1909 by Vincenzo Riccobono. The genus was subsumed into ''Echinopsis'' in 1974 by Friedrich, along with ''

Lobivia ''Lobivia'' is a genus of Cactus, cacti native species, native to South America from Bolivia, Peru to northwestern Argentina and Northern Chile. Species Species of the genus ''Lobivia'' according to Plants of the World Online : References ...

''. In 2011, it was argued that ''Trichocereus'' was distinct from ''Echinopsis'', and a 2012 genetic and morphological study by Albesiano found ''Trichocereus'' to be monophyletic if it included three species of '' Harrisia''. A 2012 genetic analysis of chloroplast DNA indicated ''Echinopsis'' was made up of several divergent lineages. This was shown again in 2019. It was concluded that previous taxonomic confusion was due to

convergent evolution Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last comm ...

: species in different lineages had evolved to have similar growth and/or to share

pollinator A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female carpel, stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains. Insects are ...

s. ,

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

accepted ''Echinopsis'' more narrowly circumscribed to include only 20 species, the others being separated in ''

Acanthocalycium ''Acanthocalycium'' is a genus of cactus consisting of several species from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The taxon name comes from Greek ''akantha'' (meaning ''prickly'') and ''kalyx'' (meaning ''buds''), which refers to the ...

'', ''

Chamaecereus ''Chamaecereus'' is a genus of large Cactus, cacti native plant, native to Argentina and Bolivia. Species Species of the genus ''Chamaecereus'' according to Plants of the World Online : References External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q3 ...

'', ''

Leucostele ''Leucostele'' is a genus of large Cactus, cacti native species, native to Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile. Species Species of the genus ''Leucostele'' according to Plants of the World Online : References External links

* * {{taxonbar, f ...

'', ''

'', '' Reicheocactus'', ''

Setiechinopsis ''Setiechinopsis'' is a monotypic genus of cacti A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known s ...

'', ''

Soehrensia ''Soehrensia'' is a genus of Cactus, cacti native plant, native to South America. It is Native species, native to northern Argentina, Bolivia, northern Chile, Paraguay and Peru, and has been introduced elsewhere, including Mexico, southern Africa ...

'' and ''

* * Cacti of So ...

'', and in one case (''E. cephalomacrostibas '') moved to ''

Weberbauerocereus ''Weberbauerocereus'' is a genus of ceroid cactus, considered to be intermediate between the genera ''Trichocereus'' and ''Cleistocactus''. The genus is named after Augusto Weberbauer because of his extensive research in the Peruvian Andes. The ...

''. , Caryophyllales.org accepted only 15 species, while noting the existence of 373 synonyms.

Species

Species of ''Echinopsis

sensu stricto ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular c ...

'' accepted by

: In addition, many hybrids exist, mostly between similar species but also between more distinct ones, such as the cross between ''Trichocereus pachanoi'' (now ''Trichocereus macrogonus'' var. ''pachanoi'') and ''E. eyriesii'' (now ''E. oxygona'') which was sold under the name "Trichopsis pachaniesii" by Sacred Succulents.

Distribution

''Echinopsis'' species are native to South America (

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

and

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

). They thrive in desert grasslands, shrubland, and in situations where the soil is sandy or gravelly, such as the sides of hills in the crevices of rocks.

Cultivation

The growing and resting seasons for ''Echinopsis'' are the same as for ''Echinocactus''. Research by J. Smith (former Curator at the

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it employs 1,10 ...

) showed that species like the

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

an ''Echinopsis cristata'' and its

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

relatives thrive if potted in light loam, with a little leaf mould and a few nodules of

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

. The limestone keeps the soil open; it is important that the soil should be well drained.

Gallery

Image:Echinopsis eyriesii.JPG, ''Echinopsis oxygona'' visited by a European honeybee; Kfar Blum Kibbutz garden, Israel. Image:Echinopsis oxygona13213404.jpg, ''Echinopsis oxygona''

References

Bibliography

* Edward F. Anderson, ''

The Cactus Family ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (Timber Press, 2001) , pp. 255–286 * K. Trout, ''Trout's Notes on San Pedro & related Trichocereus species (Sacred Cacti 3rd ed. Part B)'' (Moksha Press, 2005)

External links

Cactus Culture for Amateurs
by W. Watson (1889)
Cactus Culture Volume 1: Trichocereus
by Patrick Noll
SucculentCity: ''Plant Profiles, Photographs & Cultivation Data''

''Mattslandscape; Echinopsis hybrids-growing culture''

Vimeo Video Echinopsis Cacti in Bloom

echinopsis.com Photographs, Videos

Echinopsis Cacti Flower Photographs, Videos
{{Taxonbar, from=Q131726 Cacti of South America Cereeae genera Articles containing video clips