This common and widespread species has been encountered and trodden upon by many a tourist (and, no doubt, the Incas before them) on treks to Machu Picchu. Its variability has led to numerous redescriptions over the years including as Lobivia laui by John Donald in 1974, the name under which this clone was received. Donald credits cactus explorer Alfred Lau as being the first to bring this plant to the attention of botanists. Lau found it to be abundant around the town of Urubamba, Peru. Donald mentions considerable variability in size and flower color, from red to magenta. Ours is a particularly attractive form with magenta-tinged red flowers, a yellow throat, and contrasting orange filaments. The earlier epithet used here is particularly appropriate for the Huntington as it commemorates William Hertrich who established our cactus garden and curated the Huntington’s collections for over forty years. Rooted offsets of HBG 84368, a plant received in 1994 from the J. G. Barrows collection of the Atlanta Botanic Garden. $8.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 92 (2), Summer 2020