Gymnocalycium mihanovichii Variegated Red Cactus Live plant

Gymnocalycium mihanovichii Variegated Common Names

Gymnocalycium mihanovichii Variegated, Red Cap Cactus, Red Hibotan, Hibotan, Moon Cactus ‘Hibotan’

Synonyms

Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var. friedrichii f. rubra, Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var. rubrum, Gymnocalycium mihanovichii f. rubra, Gymnocalycium friedrichii ‘Rubra’

Scientific Classification

Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Trichocereeae
Genus: Gymnocalycium

Description

Gymnocalycium mihanovichii ‘Hibotan’ comprises a large group of popular mutants, characterized by more or less red colored bodies. They are red (but also orange, dark purplish, yellow or even white, at least 16 color variants have been described) because they contains few chlorophyll or even no chlorophyll at all. Since chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis, these mutations die as seedlings unless grafted onto another cactus with normal chlorophyll. The stem is flattened globose to elongated globose, white, yellow, orange, red, greenish-purple, reddish brown to a dark grape color, up to 4 inches (10 cm) tall and up to 5 inches (12.5 cm) in diameter, often branching profusely from the sides. It has 8 to 14 ribs, very prominent, and sharp banded whit strong dark brown markings especially when young. The spines are light to dark brown, somewhat twisted, up to 0.4 inch (1 cm) long. The flowers are pale-pink to purplish-pink, up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) long. The fruits are gray-green to pinkish-red up to 1.6 inches (4 cm) long and up to 0.4 inch (1 cm) in diameter.