Echinopsis
| Echinopsis | |
|---|---|
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| |
| Echinopsis oxygona | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Spermatophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Tribe: | Cereeae |
| Subtribe: | Trichocereinae |
| Genus: | Echinopsis Zucc. |
| Type species | |
| Echinopsis eyriesii, now Echinopsis oxygona | |
| Species | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Echinopsis is a genus of cacti native to South America, sometimes known as hedgehog cactus, sea-urchin cactus or Easter lily cactus. As of November 2025[update], 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 remarkable for the great size, length of tube, and beauty of their flowers, borne upon generally small and dumpy stems.
Taxonomy
[edit]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.[2] 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,[3] and a 2012 genetic and morphological study by Albesiano found Trichocereus to be monophyletic if it included three species of Harrisia.[4]
A 2012 genetic analysis of chloroplast DNA indicated Echinopsis was made up of several divergent lineages.[5] This was shown again in 2019.[2] 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.[5]
As of October 2025[update], Plants of the World Online subsumed Soehrensia, Chamaecereus, Trichocereus, and Lobivia into Echinopsis, resulting in a genus of around 80 species.[1]
Species
[edit]Species of Echinopsis accepted by Plants of the World Online as of November 2025[update]:[1]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
 |
Echinopsis albispinosa K.Schum. (including E. silvestrii) |
Argentina |
 |
Echinopsis ancistrophora Speg. | |
 |
Echinopsis angelesiae (R.Kiesling) G.D.Rowley | |
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Echinopsis arachnacantha (Buining & F.Ritter) Friedrich | |
| Echinopsis arboricola (Kimnach) Mottram | ||
 |
Echinopsis aurea Britton & Rose | Argentina |
| Echinopsis ayopayana F.Ritter & Rausch | ||
 |
Echinopsis backebergii Werderm. | |
| Echinopsis breviflora (Backeb.) M.Lowry | Argentina (Salta) | |
 |
Echinopsis bridgesii Salm-Dyck | |
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Echinopsis bruchii (Britton & Rose) H.Friedrich & Glaetzle | |
 |
Echinopsis caineana (Cárdenas) D.R.Hunt | |
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Echinopsis calochlora K.Schum. (including E. hammerschmidii) |
Bolivia to Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul) |
 |
Echinopsis calorubra Cárdenas | |
 |
Echinopsis camarguensis (Cárdenas) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | |
 |
Echinopsis candicans (Gillies ex Salm-Dyck) D.R.Hunt | |
 |
Echinopsis cardenasiana (Rausch) Friedrich | |
| Echinopsis caulescens (F.Ritter) M.Lowry | ||
| Echinopsis chalaensis (Rauh & Backeb.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley (sometimes in Trichocereus) |
Peru | |
 |
Echinopsis chamaecereus H.Friedrich & Glaetzle | |
 |
Echinopsis chrysantha Werderm. | Argentina |
 |
Echinopsis chrysochete Werderm. | |
 |
Echinopsis cinnabarina (Hook.) Labour. | |
 |
Echinopsis clavata (F.Ritter) D.R.Hunt (sometimes in Trichocereus) |
Bolivia |
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Echinopsis crassicaulis (R.Kiesling) H.Friedrich & Glaetzle | |
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Echinopsis cuzcoensis (Britton & Rose) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley (sometimes in Trichocereus) |
Peru |
 |
Echinopsis densispina Werderm. | Argentina |
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Echinopsis ferox (Britton & Rose) Backeb. | |
 |
Echinopsis formosa (Pfeiff.) Jacobi ex Salm-Dyck | |
| Echinopsis friedrichii G.D.Rowley | ||
 |
Echinopsis haematantha (Speg.) D.R.Hunt | Argentina and Bolivia |
| Echinopsis hahniana (Backeb.) R.S.Wallace | ||
 |
Echinopsis hertrichiana (Backeb.) D.R.Hunt | |
 |
Echinopsis huascha (F.A.C.Weber) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | |
| Echinopsis jajoana (Backeb.) Blossf. (including E. sanguiniflora) |
Argentina | |
 |
Echinopsis lageniformis (C.F.Först.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley (sometimes in Trichocereus) |
Bolivia. |
| Echinopsis lateritia Gürke | ||
| Echinopsis luisramirezii (Lodé & F.Carlier) M.H.J.van der Meer | ||
 |
Echinopsis macrogona (Salm-Dyck) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | |
 |
Echinopsis mamillosa Gürke | |
 |
Echinopsis marsoneri Werderm. | Bolivia to Argentina (Jujuy, Salta) |
 |
Echinopsis maximiliana Heyder ex A.Dietr. | |
| Echinopsis minutiflora (Rausch) M.Lowry | ||
 |
Echinopsis obrepanda (Salm-Dyck) K.Schum. | |
| Echinopsis oligotricha (Cárdenas) M.Lowry | Bolivia | |
 |
Echinopsis oxygona (Link) Zucc. ex Pfeiff. & Otto (including E. adolfofriedrichii, E. brasiliensis, E. eyriesii, E. tubiflora) |
Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina |
| Echinopsis pachanoi (Britton & Rose) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
| Echinopsis pampana (Britton & Rose) D.R.Hunt | ||
| Echinopsis pamparuizii Cárdenas | ||
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Echinopsis pentlandii (Hook.) Salm-Dyck ex A.Dietr. | |
| Echinopsis pereziensis Cárdenas | ||
| Echinopsis pugionacantha Rose & Boed. | ||
| Echinopsis quadratiumbonata (F.Ritter) D.R.Hunt | ||
| Echinopsis rauschii Friedrich | Bolivia (Cochabamba) | |
 |
Echinopsis rojasii Cárdenas | Bolivia |
 |
Echinopsis saltensis Speg. | |
| Echinopsis sandiensis Hoxey | ||
| Echinopsis schickendantzii F.A.C.Weber | ||
 |
Echinopsis schieliana (Backeb.) D.R.Hunt | |
| Echinopsis schreiteri (A.Cast.) Werderm. | ||
| Echinopsis serpentina M.Lowry & M.Mend. | ||
| Echinopsis smrziana Backeb. | ||
| Echinopsis spachiana (Lem.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
| Echinopsis spinibarbis (Otto ex Pfeiff.) A.E.Hoffm. | ||
| Echinopsis stilowiana (Backeb.) J.G.Lamb. | ||
| Echinopsis strigosa (Salm-Dyck) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
| Echinopsis sucrensis Cárdenas | ||
 |
Echinopsis tacaquirensis (Vaupel) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | Bolivia |
| Echinopsis tarijensis (Vaupel) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
 |
Echinopsis tegeleriana (Backeb.) D.R.Hunt | |
| Echinopsis thelegona (F.A.C.Weber) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
| Echinopsis thelegonoides (Speg.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
 |
Echinopsis tiegeliana (Wessner) D.R.Hunt | |
| Echinopsis torrefluminensis M.Lowry | Bolivia | |
.jpg) |
Echinopsis uyupampensis (Backeb.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | |
| Echinopsis vasquezii (Rausch) G.D.Rowley | ||
| Echinopsis volliana (Backeb.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
| Echinopsis walteri (R.Kiesling) H.Friedrich & Glaetzle | ||
 |
Echinopsis werdermannii Frič ex Fleisch. (sometimes in E. oxygona) |
Paraguay |
 |
Echinopsis yuquina D.R.Hunt |
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
[edit]Echinopsis species are native to South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay).[1] 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.[6]
Cultivation
[edit] | This article needs editing to comply with Wikipedia's Manual of Style. In particular, it has problems with style not being consistent with WP:NOTHOW. (October 2023) |
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.
Gallery
[edit]-
Echinopsis oxygona visited by a European honeybee; Kfar Blum Kibbutz garden, Israel. -
Echinopsis oxygona
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Echinopsis Zucc". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2025-11-15.
- ^ a b Guerrero, Pablo C.; Majure, Lucas C.; Cornejo-Romero, Amelia & Hernández-Hernández, Tania (2019). "Phylogenetic Relationships and Evolutionary Trends in the Cactus Family". Journal of Heredity. 110 (1): 4–21. doi:10.1093/jhered/esy064. PMID 30476167.
- ^ Schick, Robert (2011), "Echinopsis sensu stricto and Trichocereus: Differentiating the Genera", Cactus and Succulent Journal, 83 (6): 248–255, doi:10.2985/0007-9367-83.6.248, S2CID 83700680
- ^ Albesiano, Sofía; Terrazas, Teresa (2012). "Cladistic Analysis of Trichocereus (Cactaceae: Cactoideae: Trichocereeae) Based on Morphological Data and Chloroplast Dna Sequences: Dedicated to Omar Emilio Ferrari (1936-2010)". Haseltonia. 17: 3–23. doi:10.2985/1070-0048-17.1.2. S2CID 9835045.
- ^ a b Schlumpberger, Boris O.; Renner, Susanne S. (2012). "Molecular phylogenetics of Echinopsis (Cactaceae): Polyphyly at all levels and convergent evolution of pollination modes and growth forms". American Journal of Botany. 99 (8): 1335–49. Bibcode:2012AmJB...99.1335S. doi:10.3732/ajb.1100288. PMID 22859654.
- ^ "Sea-urchin cactus | Description, Distribution, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
Bibliography
[edit]- 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
[edit]
- 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 Archived 2020-06-03 at the Wayback Machine
- Vimeo Video Echinopsis Cacti in Bloom
- echinopsis.com Photographs, Videos
- Echinopsis Cacti Flower Photographs, Videos
