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Accepted Scientific Name: Parodia ottonis (Lehm.) N.P.Taylor
Bradleya 5: 93. 1987
Origin and Habitat: Parodia ottonis is widespread in South America in South Brazil, Uruguay, North-east Argentina and South Paraguay.
Habitat: Subtropical grasslands. And also in this area are several species of Frailea.
- Parodia ottonis (Lehm.) N.P.Taylor
Parodia ottonis (Lehm.) N.P.Taylor
Bradleya 5: 93. 1987
- Parodia ottonis (Lehm.) N.P.Taylor
- Cactus ottonis Lehm.
- Echinocactus ottonis (Lehm.) Link & Otto
- Malacocarpus ottonis (Lehm.) Britton & Rose
- Notocactus ottonis (Lehm.) A.Berger
- Peronocactus ottonis (Lehm.) Doweld
- Echinocactus ottonis var. pallidior Monv. ex Lem.
- Echinocactus ottonis var. spinosior Monv. ex Lem.
- Echinocactus tenuispinus var. minor Link & Otto
- Notocactus acutus F.Ritter
- Notocactus oxycostatus f. acutus (F.Ritter) N.Gerloff
- Notocactus arechavaletae (Speg. ex Arechav.) Herter
- Echinocactus acuatus var. arechavaletae K.Schum. ex Speg.
- Echinocactus arechavaletae Speg. ex Arechav.
- Malacocarpus arechavaletae (Speg. ex Arechav.) A.Berger
- Wigginsia arechavaletae (Speg. ex Arechav.) D.M.Porter
- Notocactus arechavaletae var. alacriportanus F.Ritter
- Notocactus arechavaletae var. aureus F.Ritter
- Notocactus ottonis f. aureus (F.Ritter) N.Gerloff & Neduchal
- Notocactus arechavaletae var. buenekeri F.Ritter
- Notocactus arechavaletae var. limiticola F.Ritter
- Notocactus arechavaletae var. nanus F.Ritter
- Notocactus arechavaletae var. rubescens F.Ritter
- Notocactus grandiensis Bergner
- Notocactus maldonadensis (Herter) Herter
- Echinocactus maldonadensis Herter
- Notocactus neo-ottoianus Y.Itô
- Notocactus ottonis var. acutangularis F.Ritter
- Notocactus ottonis var. albispinus Backeb.
- Notocactus ottonis var. elegans Backeb.
- Notocactus ottonis f. elegans (Backeb. & Voll) Havlíček
- Notocactus ottonis var. globularis (F.Ritter) Bergner
- Notocactus ottonis var. janousekianus K.Papoušek
- Notocactus ottonis var. nigrispinus H.D.Lück
- Notocactus ottonis var. paraguayensis (Haage jr.) A.Berger ex Backeb.
- Echinocactus ottonis var. paraguayensis Haage jr.
- Echinocactus ottonis f. paraguayensis (Haage jr.) Schelle
- Notocactus ottonis var. rubrispinus Prestlé
- Notocactus ottonis var. schuldtii Kreuz.
- Notocactus oxycostatus var. schuldtii (Kreuz.) N.Gerloff
- Notocactus ottonis var. stenogonus Backeb.
- Notocactus ottonis var. tenebrosus n.n.
- Notocactus ottonis var. tenuispinus (Link & Otto) Borg
- Echinocactus ottonis var. tenuispinus (Link & Otto) Pfeiff.
- Echinocactus ottonis f. tenuispinus (Link & Otto) Schelle
- Echinocactus tenuispinus Link & Otto
- Notocactus neo-ottoianus var. tenuispinus (Link & Otto) Y.Itô
- Notocactus tenuispinus (Link & Otto) Herter
- Notocactus ottonis var. uruguayensis (Arechav.) Frič
- Notocactus ottonis var. vencluianus Schütz
- Notocactus ruoffii N.Gerloff
- Notocactus minimus var. ruoffii (N.Gerloff) N.Gerloff & Neduchal
- Notocactus tenuispinus f. cristatus P.V.Heath
- Parodia amambayensis (Werderm.) Borg
- Parodia ottonis var. tortuosa (Link & Otto) N.P.Taylor
Parodia ottonis subs. horstii (F.Ritter) Hofacker
Cactaceae Consensus Init. 6: 12. 1998
- Parodia ottonis subs. horstii (F.Ritter) Hofacker
- Notocactus arechavaletae var. horstii F.Ritter
- Notocactus horstii F.Ritter
- Notocactus ottonis subs. horstii (F.Ritter) Doweld
- Parodia horstii (F.Ritter) N.P.Taylor
- Peronocactus horstii (F.Ritter) Doweld
- Peronocactus ottonis subs. horstii (F.Ritter) Doweld
- Wigginsia nothohorstii (F.Ritter) Doweld
- Notocactus horstii f. muglianus K.Herm
- Notocactus horstii f. purpureiflorus (F.Ritter) K.Herm
- Notocactus horstii f. purpureus (F.Ritter) K.Herm
- Notocactus purpureus F.Ritter
- Notocactus muegelianus T.Engel
Description: Parodia ottonis, better known as Notocactus ottonis, is a common attractive dwarf clumping cactus and particularly is fun as it matures and flowers at an early age. This is one of the most variable species in the genus and has lots of unnecessary synonyms and comprises a multitude of different regional forms as well as various cryptic allied species including the Parodia linkii, Parodia oxycostata, Parodia carambeiensis amd Parodia muricata. But where each form is linked to others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics. This species is in cultivation with many cultivated and propagated forms. Generations of cactophiles have had this plant as one of their first acquisitions and few can have been disappointed by its easy cultivation and free-flowering habit.
Habit: Simple at first later usually clustering, the plants may form large clumps developing offsets on stolons which may emerge up to 20 cm away from the parent plant,
Stems: More or less spherical, tapered at base, eventually cylindrical with a flattened top, 2-15 cm in diameter (mostly less than 10 cm), light. Deep-green, bluish green, and can get deep purplish to maroon during winter dormancy, though this colour can be retained if grown in sufficient light. However the new growth is green but will soon darken to match the older epidermis.
Ribs: 6-12, rarely up to15, well defined. rounded or acute.
Spines: Slender hair-like, straight, curved or twisted, relatively sparse that does not hide the epidermis.
Central spines: 1-6, sometimes difficult to distinguish from radials, yellowish, pale to dark brown, light rose, reddish brown or black, 8-40 mm long tending to point downward.
Radial spines: 4-15 spreading radially, with a starlike appearance, whitish, yellow, pale rose or brown. 5-30 mm long.
Flowers: 3,5-6 cm in diameter, few often closely packed apically, bright satiny yellow in one rare variant orange-red, pericarpels and tube with dense white to brownish wool and bristles. Stigma-lobes usually red or purplish, rarely orange or yellow.
Fruit: Ovoid to short oblong. 9-12 mm in diameter green, not elongating at maturity, thin to thick-walled. dehiscent lengthwise to expose the seeds and white pulp.
Seeds: 15-100 per fruit. Bell-shaped glossy black, 1,2-1,4 long and 11,7-1,2 mm broad strongly tuberculate.
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Parodia ottonis group
- Notocactus arechavaletae (Speg. ex Arechav.) Herter: The differences with other Parodia ottonis are minimal and most botanist agree on the fact that both should all be included in the P. ottonis. Distribution: Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) and Uruguay (Artigas, Rivera).
- Notocactus arechavaletae var. limiticola F.Ritter: has the tendency to produce basal suckers on the lateral roots. Distribution: Livramento, border with Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
- Notocactus arechavaletae var. rubescens F.Ritter: has redder stems in arid conditions and merging into typical green plants in cultivation. Distibution: North of Carazinha, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
- Notocactus horstii f. muglianus K.Herm: has areoles more woolly and larger to 10 mm in diameter, flowers orange red to salmon red, and stamens coloured like the petals. Distribution: Candelaria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
- Notocactus muegelianus T.Engel: this is the transitional form between the yellowish-orange and purple forms of Parodia ottonis subs. horstii. Distribution: Candelaria, Rio Grande do Sul
- Notocactus ottonis var. paraguayensis (Haage jr.) A.Berger ex Backeb.: has the ribs less rounded, almost acute and red spines. Distribution: Cordillera, and Misiones, Paraguay.
- Notocactus ottonis var. tenebrosus n.n.: has dark green stems with 8-10 radial spines and 1 darker central spines, flowers are bright satiny yellow.
- Notocactus ottonis var. vencluianus Schütz: has flowers and anthers red. Petals variously shades with peach, salmon, pink-red, vermilion and purple. Distribution: It is a cultivar originated from (habitat?) seed sown in a Czech nurser.
- Parodia ottonis (Lehm.) N.P.Taylor: (subsp. ottonis) has globular flattened stems rarely exceeding 6 cm in diameter, only 10 ribs, and 3-4 central spines. Distribution: southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina.
- Parodia ottonis subs. horstii (F.Ritter) Hofacker: has stems often to 15 cm in diameter, 12-16 ribs, and 1-4 central spines. Flowers yellowish-orange, pink ot violet-purple. Distribution: Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
- Parodia ottonis var. tortuosa (Link & Otto) N.P.Taylor: has a very large body (13-18 cm), small flower (25 mm long and 25-50 mm in width) and its spines are almost equal. Distribution Brazil and Uruguay.
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Krainz, Hans “Die Kakteen” 1957-1975
2) Friedrich Ritter “Kakteen in Sűdamerika: Ergebnisse meiner 20jährigen Feldforschungen” Friedrich Ritter Selbstverlag, 1979
3) E Haustein “Der Kosmos Kakteenfuehrer (the Kosmos Cactus Guide)” Balogh Scientific Books 01 December 1998
4) Mariella Pizzetti, Giuseppe Mazza “Piante grasse: le cactacee” A. Mondadori, 1985
5) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
6) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey "The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass" Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
7) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
8) Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton: “Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names” Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg 2010
9) 5) N. L. Britton, J. N. Rose: “The Cactaceae. Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family.” Volume III, The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington 1922
10) David Squire “Complete Indoor Plants” New Holland, 28/May/2007
11) Tony Mace “Notocactus: a review of the genus incorporating Brasilicactus, Eriocactus and Wigginsia” Editorial Board/National Cactus & Succulent Society, 1975
Malacocarpus ottonis (Parodia ottonis) Photo by: Alexander Arzberger
The gallery now contains thousands of pictures, however it is possible to do even more. We are, of course, seeking photos of species not yet shown in the gallery but not only that, we are also looking for better pictures than those already present. Read More...
Cultivation and Propagation: Parodia ottonis is a summer grower species easy to grow and to bloom. It makes a very suitable indoor plants for any luminous windowsills.
Growth rate: It is a moderately fast growing and easily flowering species.
Soil: Use mineral well permeable substratum with little organic matter (peat, humus), plants may become too elongated if compost is too rich.
Repotting: Re-pot every 2 years. Use pot with good drainage.
Fertilization: It grows much faster with a low nitrogen content fertilizer in spring and summer.
Watering: Requires careful watering to keep plant compact. Water sparingly from March till October, the thin, fibrous roots suffer if there is humidity, therefore the plant should be watered only when the surrounding terrain is dry. Keep dry as soon as the temperature starts dropping in October and keep it perfectly dry in winter at temperatures from 5 to 15 degrees centigrade.
Hardiness: They need to be kept in a cool place during winter rest and are somewhat resistant to frost if kept on the dry side prior to, and during, cold weather ( they are hardy to -5 C ° C, for short periods). Although it is one of the easier Parodia to grow, it tends to rot in winter during the resting phase, if kept wet. In the rest period no high atmospheric humidity!!
Sun Exposure: Requires full sun in winter and some protection in summer, its colour tends to richer and darker when grown in light shade.
Uses: It is an excellent plant for container growing. It always looks good and stays small.
Pests & diseases: It may be attractive to a variety of insects, but plants in good condition should be nearly pest-free, particularly if they are grown in a mineral potting-mix, with good exposure and ventilation. Nonetheless, there are several pests to watch for:
- Red spiders: Red spiders may be effectively rubbed up by watering the infested plants from above.
- Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new growth among the wool with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects.
- Scales: Scales are rarely a problem.
- Rot: Rot is only a minor problem with cacti if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly. If they are not, fungicides won't help all that much. To prevent rottenness it is also advisable to surround its root neck by very rough sand or grit, this help a fast water drainage.
Propagation: Almost exclusively by seed. Cutting scions from a flourishing plant may also been used to propagate this plant.
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