Image - Wikimedia / Michael Wolf // Muscle rebutia
There are many cacti that, when they are young, have a round or, rather, globose body. There are certain species that stay like this throughout their lives, but most tend to grow taller after some point.
Even so, round cacti and the like abound in a collection. They are also very popular in gardens. Why? Because they are precious; not only because of its thorns, no. The flowers of many of them are spectacular. This is our selection.
Echinocactus grusonii (mother-in-law's seat)
Image - Wikimedia / Calvin teo
El Echinocactus grusonii, known by the curious name of the mother-in-law's seat, or hedgehog cactus, is by far the most popular species. It begins its life as a small "ball" with roots and a pile of increasingly threatening thorns that, little by little, grows in size. Once he reaches adulthood, can exceed one meter in height with a diameter of about 70 centimeters. Its flowers sprout from the upper part of the stem, and are yellow in color.
Echinocactus platyacanthus
Image - Wikimedia / Frank Vincentz
El Echinocactus platyacanthus It is a cactus that starts out globular, and over the years it becomes more or less columnar. Its body is green, with strong spines that protect its ribs. It can measure between 0,5 and 3 meters in height, and between 40 and 80 centimeters in diameter. The flowers are yellow, and appear at the top.
Echinopsis calochlora
Image - Wikimedia / Salicyna
El Echinopsis calochlora It is a round cactus that measures between 6 and 9 centimeters in diameter. Its body is dark green, with areolas that look more like notches of up to 1,5 centimeters. Yellowish spines emerge from them, as well as funnel-shaped white flowers 16 centimeters long.
Echinopsis ancistrophora
Image - Wikimedia / Petar43
El Echinopsis ancistrophora (before Lobivia arachnacantha) is a cactus with a rounded body and a glossy dark green color. Hook-shaped spines sprout from their areolas, as well as funnel-shaped, white or red, fragrant flowers. The adult specimen measures about 5-6 centimeters in diameter by 4 centimeters high.
Echinopsis subdenudata
Image - Wikimedia / Petar43
El Echinopsis subdenudata It is a kind of globular cactus that reaches a height of 7 centimeters maximum, and a diameter of 5-7 centimeters. Its body is dark green, and on its ribs we can see woolly areoles from which very small spines arise, 1,5 to 2 millimeters long that are sometimes absent. The flowers are wonderful: white or light pink, fragrant, 15 to 22 centimeters long.
Ferocactus stainessii
Image - Wikimedia / Peter A. Mansfeld
El Ferocactus stainesii It is another one of those cacti that are not usually lacking in collections. Same as him Echinocactus grusonii, goes from being a little prickly ball to being a cactus with an interesting height, up to 120 centimeters. Its diameter, when it is adult, is up to 36 centimeters. The spines are very striking red, as well as long (up to 8 centimeters). Its flowers are either purplish-pink or purple-pink.
Mammillaria magnimamma
La Mammillaria magnimamma It is a species of cactus known as solitary thorn biznaga or chilitos biznaga. Only a single spine comes out of each areola, which is short, a characteristic that gives it one of the common names. The plant is small, with a maximum height of 10 centimeters and a diameter of 4-5 centimeters., and its flowers are also small, pink.
Melocactus matanus
El Melocactus matanus It does have a body whose shape fits more like a round cactus, since it also keeps it that way always. A typical adult specimen measures between 7 to 9 centimeters in height by about 8-9 centimeters in diameter. Its body is green, and its spines, although they can cause damage, are 'only' between 1 and 2 centimeters long. Its flowers are very interesting, since they are grouped in an inflorescence that arises from the upper part of the stem and that has an elongated shape, with a size of up to 9 centimeters high.
Rebutia neocumingii
Image - Wikimedia / Stan Shebs
La Rebutia neocumingii (before Weingartia neocumingii) is a globose plant, with a green body and covered with whitish and orange spines, which reaches a size of 5-6 centimeters in height for roughly the same diameter. Its flowers are yellow, and appear in great numbers at the top of the stem.
Rebutia pygmaea
Image - Wikimedia / Peter A. Mansfeld
La Rebutia pygmaea it's a nice little plant, which measures just 3-4 centimeters in diameter for about the same height. It has a greenish body, well protected by thorns. The flowers are larger in diameter than the cactus, and can be red, orange or yellow.
Pelecyphora strobiliformis
Image - Wikimedia / Michael Wolf
The species Pelecyphora strobiliformis It is highly demanded by fans and lovers of cacti. It has a globular body, with a size of up to 10 centimeters high by 4-6 centimeters in diameter. Between 40 and 60 spines (in total) arise from their areoles, but they are not dangerous. Its flowers are really pretty: they measure about 3 centimeters, and they are purple.
Which of these round cacti did you like the most?