Echinopsis arachnacantha

Echinopsis arachnacantha
Echinopsis arachnacantha subsp. arachnacantha
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Genus:	Echinopsis
Species:	E. arachnacantha
Binomial name
Echinopsis arachnacantha (Buining & F.Ritter) Friedrich [1]
Synonyms [2]
Echinopsis ancistrophora subsp. arachnacantha(Buining & F.Ritter) Rausch Lobivia arachnacanthaBuining & F.Ritter

Echinopsis arachnacantha, synonym Lobivia arachnacantha, is a species of cactus in the genus Echinopsis , native to Bolivia. ^[2]

Description

Echinopsis arachnacantha typically grows in clusters with flattened to spherical stems that are dark green and feature around 14 weakly notched ribs. The areoles on these stems bear 9-15 radial spines measuring 5 mm in length, which can range from pale to dark brown or yellowish-brown, sometimes accompanied by a 1.5 mm long black spine. Its flowers are approximately 5 cm wide and are supported by a slender floral tube that is about 5 cm long. ^[3]

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  Echinopsis arachnacantha typically forms clumps
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Taxonomy

The species was first described in 1956 as Lobivia arachnacantha. ^[1]

Subspecies

As of November 2025 ^[update] , Plants of the World Online accepted the following subspecies: ^[2]

Image	Subspecies	Distribution
	Echinopsis arachnacantha var. arachnacantha	Bolivia
	Echinopsis arachnacantha var. densisetaRausch	Bolivia
	Echinopsis arachnacantha var. sulphureaR.Vásquez	Bolivia
	Echinopsis arachnacantha var. torrecillasensis(Cárdenas) Buining	Bolivia

Distribution

Plants are found in Bolivia, in the departments of Santa Cruz, Chuquisaca, and Cochabamba, as well as in Salta, Argentina. It grows at elevations between 1800 and 2600 meters. This species grows on stony hills in places with reliable summer rainfall. ^[3]

Cultivation

The species has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. ^[4]

References

1. "Echinopsis arachnacantha (Buining & F.Ritter) Friedrich", The International Plant Names Index , retrieved 2025-11-14
2. "Echinopsis arachnacantha (Buining & F.Ritter) Friedrich", Plants of the World Online , Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2025-11-14
3. Vallicelli, Valentino (2013-08-04). "Lobivia arachnacantha". llifle.com. Retrieved 2023-12-19.  This article incorporates textfrom this source, which is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license.
4. "Echinopsis arachnacantha". The Royal Horticultural Society. 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021. spider web-spined Easter lily cactus