Echinopsis is a genus of cacti native to South America, sometimes known as
hedgehog cactus,
sea-urchin cactus or
Easter lily cactus. , 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: 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. 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, and a 2012 genetic and morphological study by Albesiano found
Trichocereus to be monophyletic if it included three species of
Harrisia.
A 2012 genetic analysis of chloroplast DNA indicated
Echinopsis was made up of several divergent lineages. This was shown again in 2019. 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.
, Plants of the World Online subsumed
Soehrensia,
Chamaecereus,
Trichocereus, and
Lobivia into
Echinopsis, resulting in a genus of around 80 species.
Species: Species of
Echinopsis accepted by Plants of the World Online :
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|
| 120px]] | K.Schum.}}
(including E. silvestrii) | Argentina |
| 120px]] | Speg.}} | |
| 120px]] | (R.Kiesling) G.D.Rowley}} | |
| 120px]] | (Buining & F.Ritter) Friedrich}} | |
| (Kimnach) Mottram}} | |
| 120px]] | Britton & Rose}} | Argentina |
| F.Ritter & Rausch}} | |
| 120px]] | Werderm.}} | |
| (Backeb.) M.Lowry}} | Argentina (Salta) |
| 120px]] | Salm-Dyck}} | |
| 120px]] | (Britton & Rose) H.Friedrich & Glaetzle}} | |
| 120px]] | (Cárdenas) D.R.Hunt}} | |
| 120px]] | K.Schum.}}
(including E. hammerschmidii) | Bolivia to Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul) |
| 120px]] | Cárdenas}} | |
| 120px]] | (Cárdenas) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}} | |
| 120px]] | (Gillies ex Salm-Dyck) D.R.Hunt}} | |
| 120px]] | (Rausch) Friedrich}} | |
| (F.Ritter) M.Lowry}} | |
| (Rauh & Backeb.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}}
(sometimes in Trichocereus) | Peru |
| 120px]] | H.Friedrich & Glaetzle}} | |
| 120px]] | Werderm.}} | Argentina |
| 120px]] | Werderm.}} | |
| 120px]] | (Hook.) Labour.}} | |
| 120px]] | (F.Ritter) D.R.Hunt}}
(sometimes in Trichocereus) | Bolivia |
| 120px]] | (R.Kiesling) H.Friedrich & Glaetzle}} | |
| 120px]] | (Britton & Rose) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}}
(sometimes in Trichocereus) | Peru |
| 120px]] | Werderm.}} | Argentina |
| 120px]] | (Britton & Rose) Backeb.}} | |
| 120px]] | (Pfeiff.) Jacobi ex Salm-Dyck}} | |
| G.D.Rowley}} | |
| 120px]] | (Speg.) D.R.Hunt}} | Argentina and Bolivia |
| (Backeb.) R.S.Wallace}} | |
| 120px]] | (Backeb.) D.R.Hunt}} | |
| 120px]] | (F.A.C.Weber) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}} | |
| (Backeb.) Blossf.}}
(including E. sanguiniflora) | Argentina |
| 120px]] | (C.F.Först.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}}
(sometimes in Trichocereus) | Bolivia |
| Gürke}} | |
| (Lodé & F.Carlier) M.H.J.van der Meer}} | |
| 120px]] | (Salm-Dyck) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}} | |
| 120px]] | Gürke}} | |
| 120px]] | Werderm.}} | Bolivia to Argentina (Jujuy, Salta) |
| 120px]] | Heyder ex A.Dietr.}} | |
| (Rausch) M.Lowry}} | |
| 120px]] | (Salm-Dyck) K.Schum.}} | |
| (Cárdenas) M.Lowry}} | Bolivia |
| 120px]] | (Link) Zucc. ex Pfeiff. & Otto}}
(including E. adolfofriedrichii, E. brasiliensis, E. eyriesii, E. tubiflora) | Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina |
| (Britton & Rose) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}} | |
| (Britton & Rose) D.R.Hunt}} | |
| Cárdenas}} | |
| 120px]] | (Hook.) Salm-Dyck ex A.Dietr.}} | |
| Cárdenas}} | |
| Rose & Boed.}} | |
| (F.Ritter) D.R.Hunt}} | |
| Friedrich}} | Bolivia (Cochabamba) |
| 120px]] | Cárdenas}} | Bolivia |
| 120px]] | Speg.}} | |
| Hoxey}} | |
| F.A.C.Weber}} | |
| 120px]] | (Backeb.) D.R.Hunt}} | |
| (A.Cast.) Werderm.}} | |
| M.Lowry & M.Mend.}} | |
| Backeb.}} | |
| (Lem.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}} | |
| (Otto ex Pfeiff.) A.E.Hoffm.}} | |
| (Backeb.) J.G.Lamb.}} | |
| (Salm-Dyck) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}} | |
| Cárdenas}} | |
| 120px]] | (Vaupel) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}} | Bolivia |
| (Vaupel) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}} | |
| 120px]] | (Backeb.) D.R.Hunt}} | |
| (F.A.C.Weber) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}} | |
| (Speg.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}} | |
| 120px]] | (Wessner) D.R.Hunt}} | |
| M.Lowry}} | Bolivia |
| 120px]] | (Backeb.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}} | |
| (Rausch) G.D.Rowley}} | |
| (Backeb.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley}} | |
| (R.Kiesling) H.Friedrich & Glaetzle}} | |
| 120px]] | Frič ex Fleisch.}}
(sometimes in E. oxygona) | Paraguay |
| 120px]] | 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: Echinopsis species are native to South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay). 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.
Cultivation: The growing and resting seasons for
Echinopsis are the same as for
Echinocactus. 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.