Echinopsis is a genus of cacti native to South America, sometimes known as hedgehog cactus, sea-urchin cactus or Easter lily cactus. , Plants of the World Online used a broad circumscription of the genus, resulting in about 80 accepted species, ranging 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.
They are known for their big 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, Echinopsis sensu lato included over 100 species. Some genera have been absorbed and then accepted again. For example, the genus name Trichocereus 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. 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: species in different lineages had evolved to have similar growth and/or to share pollinators.
, Plants of the World Online subsumed Soehrensia, Chamaecereus, Trichocereus, and Lobivia into Echinopsis, resulting in a genus of around 80 species.
Species Species of Echinopsis accepted by Plants of the World Online : Image Scientific name Distribution Echinopsis albispinosa (including E. silvestrii) ArgentinaEchinopsis ancistrophora Echinopsis angelesiae Echinopsis arachnacantha Echinopsis arboricola Echinopsis aurea ArgentinaEchinopsis ayopayana Echinopsis backebergii Echinopsis breviflora Argentina (Salta)Echinopsis bridgesii Echinopsis bruchii Echinopsis caineana Echinopsis calochlora (including E. hammerschmidii) Bolivia to Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul)Echinopsis calorubra Echinopsis camarguensis Echinopsis candicans Echinopsis cardenasiana Echinopsis caulescens Echinopsis chalaensis (sometimes in Trichocereus) PeruEchinopsis chamaecereus Echinopsis chrysantha ArgentinaEchinopsis chrysochete Echinopsis cinnabarina Echinopsis clavata (sometimes in Trichocereus) BoliviaEchinopsis crassicaulis Echinopsis cuzcoensis (sometimes in Trichocereus) PeruEchinopsis densispina ArgentinaEchinopsis ferox Echinopsis formosa Echinopsis friedrichii Echinopsis haematantha Argentina and BoliviaEchinopsis hahniana Echinopsis hertrichiana Echinopsis huascha Echinopsis jajoana (including E. sanguiniflora) ArgentinaEchinopsis lageniformis (sometimes in Trichocereus) BoliviaEchinopsis lateritia Echinopsis luisramirezii Echinopsis macrogona Echinopsis mamillosa Echinopsis marsoneri Bolivia to Argentina (Jujuy, Salta)Echinopsis maximiliana Echinopsis minutiflora Echinopsis narvaecensis (Cárdenas) H.Friedrich & G.D.RowleySouthern BoliviaEchinopsis obrepanda Echinopsis oligotricha BoliviaEchinopsis oxygona (including E. adolfofriedrichii, E. brasiliensis, E. eyriesii, E. tubiflora) Brazil, Uruguay and northern ArgentinaEchinopsis pachanoi Echinopsis pampana Echinopsis pamparuizii Echinopsis pentlandii Echinopsis pereziensis Echinopsis pugionacantha Echinopsis quadratiumbonata Echinopsis rauschii Bolivia (Cochabamba) Echinopsis rojasii BoliviaEchinopsis saltensis Echinopsis sandiensis Echinopsis schickendantzii Echinopsis schieliana Echinopsis schreiteri Echinopsis serpentina Echinopsis smrziana Echinopsis spachiana Echinopsis spinibarbis Echinopsis stilowiana Echinopsis strigosa Echinopsis sucrensis Echinopsis tacaquirensis BoliviaEchinopsis tarijensis Echinopsis tegeleriana Echinopsis thelegona Echinopsis thelegonoides Echinopsis tiegeliana Echinopsis torrefluminensis BoliviaEchinopsis uyupampensis Echinopsis vasquezii Echinopsis volliana Echinopsis walteri Echinopsis werdermannii (sometimes in E. oxygona) ParaguayEchinopsis yuquina In addition, many hybrids exist, mostly between similar species, such as the cross between Echinopsis pachanoi (formerly 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, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay). 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) 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.
Gallery
References
Bibliography Edward F. Anderson, The Cactus Family (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 Kuentz: Echinopsis (in French) Lohmueller: Echinopsis Mattslandscape; Echinopsis hybrids-growing culture Vimeo Video Echinopsis Cacti in Bloom echinopsis.com Photographs, Videos Echinopsis Cacti Flower Photographs, Videos Echinopsis at Rare Cactus