amateur plant

Astrophytum asterias

Astrophytum asterias is a species of cactus in the genus Astrophytum, and is native to small parts of Texas in the United States and Mexico. Common names include sand dollar cactus, sea urchin cactus, star cactus and star peyote.

A. asterias (also known as the Star Cactus) is small, round, spineless and squat, reaching a height of 2.5–6 cm (0.98–2.36 in) and a diameter of 5–15 cm (2.0–5.9 in). The disc-shaped body is divided into 7–10 sections, known as ribs; in the middle of each rib there are woolly areoles. The body is a greenish-brown colour and may appear speckled from its covering of white scales (trichomes). The flowers of this cactus are yellow with red bases and the outer parts are very woolly. Green to pink oval fruits are produced; the outside coat is covered with woolly hairs.

Distribution and habitat

Star cactus is native to the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the United States and the states of Nuevo León and Tamaulipas in Mexico, to the east of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range.

Previously more abundant, this species is today restricted to a single 200-acre site in Texas, where there are around 2,000 individuals, and a few small sites in Tamaulipas. Today this species is associated with thorn scrub, amongst rocky ground; it may have previously occupied richer, flat grasslands that have since been developed. It has probably been extirpated from Nuevo León.

For More Inforamtion Astrophytum Asterius

Cultivation

Sand Dollar Cactus has been grown as a houseplant since the 1840s, like other members of its genus and despite its rarity in the wild. It is readily propagated from seed, so most plants encountered in nurseries are seed grown. The popularity of this species among collectors and enthusiasts has ensured that a number of cultivars are available. One such cultivar is the ‘Super Kabuto’, a clonally propagated variety whose large trichomes congregate into dense spots, arranged in a striking pattern.

Please Note

This product will be hand delivered to your doorstep.

The image is for reference only.

Please take out the plant from the box immediately after receiving and water it as required.

Water the soil, not the leaves and flowers.

Keep it away from direct sunlight.
Avoid placing plants in trouble spots, such as near heat or air conditioning ducts.

From enisarg.com