Echinopsis imperialis SEEDS

Echinopsis imperialis seeds come from a historic garden-origin Echinopsis rather than a wild species. The name was published in December 1935 in the Cactus and Succulent Journal (Los Angeles), where the author Poindexter credited the English description and the plant itself to the grower Hummel, its originator. Because no Latin diagnosis accompanied it, the name is not validly published under botanical rules and has always been used as a horticultural name ("Hort.").

Plants of this kind belong to the large South American genus Echinopsis in its broad sense, which today also includes the former Trichocereus, Lobivia and Chamaecereus. Echinopsis of garden origin are grown above all for their large, funnel-shaped flowers with long floral tubes. As with any cultivated lineage raised from seed, the resulting seedlings may differ from one another in stem shape, spination and flower colour, which makes every batch a small selection project of its own.

• Historic horticultural name: Echinopsis imperialis Hummel, Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 7(6): 82 (1935)
• Garden origin — not a wild species, so it has no natural range
• Seed-grown plants may vary: each seedling is potentially unique
• Genus Echinopsis s.l., Family Cactaceae, Order Caryophyllales
• Rarely offered as seed and of interest to collectors of historic cactus cultivars

Sow the seed on the surface of a fine, gritty and free-draining mix, barely covered, and keep it bright, humid and warm (about 20-25 °C); germination usually follows within a few weeks. Ventilate gradually and water the seedlings sparingly. Grown in full sun to bright light, with generous water in the warm months and a dry, cool winter rest, Echinopsis imperialis makes a curious addition to any collection of Echinopsis and their hybrids.

IMPORTANT: Pictures show the adult plant, which is not for sale. The offer is only for seeds.