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= Echinocereus aguirrei Glass
1965:160 nom. nud. [a form of Echinocereus pulchellus].
Accepted Scientific Name: Echinocereus pulchellus (Mart.) C.F.Först. ex F.Seitz
Nova Acta Phys.-Med. Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 16(1): 342, t. 23, f. 2. 1832

It is a small clumper with great flowers .
Synonyms:
- Echinocereus aguirrei Glass
Echinocereus pulchellus (Mart.) C.F.Först. ex F.Seitz
Nova Acta Phys.-Med. Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 16(1): 342, t. 23, f. 2. 1832
Synonymy: 17
- Echinocereus pulchellus (Mart.) C.F.Först. ex F.Seitz
- Cereus pulchellus Pfeiff.
- Echinocactus pulchellus Mart.
- Echinonyctanthus pulchellus Lem.
- Echinopsis pulchella Zucc. ex Förster
- Echinocereus aguirrei Glass
- Echinocereus pulchellus var. amoenus (A.Dietr.) H.P.Kelsey & Dayton
- Cereus amoenus (A.Dietr.) Hemsl.
- Echinocereus amoenus (A.Dietr.) K.Schum.
- Echinocereus pulchellus subs. amoenus (A.Dietr.) W.Blum
- Echinopsis amoena A.Dietr.
- Echinopsis pulchella var. amoena (A.Dietr.) Förster
- Echinopsis pulchella var. flore kermesina Haage ex Förster
- Echinopsis pulchella var. rosea Labour.
- Echinocereus pulchellus subs. venustus W.Blum & W.Rischer
Echinocereus pulchellus subs. acanthosetus (S.Arias & U.Guzmán) N.P.Taylor
Cactaceae Consensus Init. 5: 12. 1998 [see also: W.Blum in W. Blum et al., Echinocereus (preprint) [8] (1998)]
Synonymy: 2
- Echinocereus pulchellus subs. acanthosetus (S.Arias & U.Guzmán) N.P.Taylor
- Echinocereus pulchellus var. acanthosetus S.Arias & U.Guzmán
Echinocereus pulchellus f. cristatus
Accepted name in llifle Database:
Echinocereus pulchellus subs. sharpii (N.P.Taylor) N.P.Taylor
Cactaceae Consensus Init. 3: 9. 1997
Synonymy: 2
- Echinocereus pulchellus subs. sharpii (N.P.Taylor) N.P.Taylor
- Echinocereus pulchellus var. sharpii N.P.Taylor
Echinocereus pulchellus subs. weinbergii (Weing.) N.P.Taylor
Cactaceae Consensus Init. 3: 9. 1997
Synonymy: 3
- Echinocereus pulchellus subs. weinbergii (Weing.) N.P.Taylor
- Echinocereus pulchellus var. weinbergii (Weing.) N.P.Taylor
- Echinocereus weinbergii Weing.
Description: Echinocereus aguirreiSN|8591]]SN|8598]] is one of the several forms of the very variable Echinocereus pulchellusSN|8598]]SN|8588]] which form a complex of related taxon. It is still unclear whether this variable complex is one or several species. There is so much variation that most authors choose to lump them together. Echinocereus aguirreiSN|8588]]SN|8598]] typically forms small clumps and produces great pink flower and is very similar to Echinocereus amoenusSN|8598]]SN|8591]] and the two are frequently confused. The 'aguirrei' form differs from subspecies 'pulchellus' in that the stems are not so crunched against each other, they’re a bit taller, and the tubercles stand out more. The body colour is also different, being a lighter green to grey green, tending toward bluish on some individuals.
Habit: Solitary or slowly clumping, often shrinking into the ground during drought.
Roots: It has a strong taproot.
Stems: Flat globular up to 6 cm (but cultivated plants are frequently higher), 5-7 cm in diameter, bluish green when young;
Ribs: 9 to 13;
Areoles: 5 to7 mm inch apart; 3 to 7 pale yellowish spines.
Flowers: Abundant pink or purple/red (rarely white) flowers, up to 6 cm in diameter.
Blooming season: Spring. Plants start flowering when only few centimeter in diameter.
Fruits: Globose, small, nearly dry at maturity, with few seeds.
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Echinocereus pulchellus group
Echinocereus aguirrei Glass: Small Clumper that produces great pink flower (same as: Echinocereus pulchellus var. amoenus?).
Echinocereus pulchellus (Mart.) C.F.Först. ex F.Seitz: (subsp. pulchellus) has stems that are 2,5-5 cm thick with 9 to 12 ribs and 3 to 7 inconspicuous spines per areole. The flowers are pink or white. Distribution: Oaxaca, Puebla, Hidalgo, and Queretaro.
Echinocereus pulchellus subs. acanthosetus (S.Arias & U.Guzmán) N.P.Taylor: has stems that are 2 to 4cm thick with 9 ribs usually and 5 to 8 flailing hairlike spines. The flowers are magenta to white. Distribution: Oaxaca.
Echinocereus pulchellus var. amoenus (A.Dietr.) H.P.Kelsey & Dayton: It has 15 cm stems, 10 to 14 ribs and on the young areoles it has 6 to 8 short spines with the lower spine being the longest. The older areoles are devoid of spines. The flowers are magenta.
Echinocereus pulchellus f. cristatus: It is a nice crestes form with bluish green stems.
Echinocereus pulchellus subs. sharpii (N.P.Taylor) N.P.Taylor: It has darker colored stems in comparison to the other subspecies. Bodies 2 to 6 cm thick with 11 to 17 ribs and 7 to 14 spines per areole. The flowers are magenta or more often white. Distribution: Nuevo Leon and San Luis Potosi.
Echinocereus pulchellus subs. venustus W.Blum & W.Rischer: has low greyish-green body and pink flowers from the lower part of the body. Flower up to 30 mm long and 50-55 mm across. Distribution: San Luis Potosi City to Aguascalientes.
Echinocereus pulchellus subs. weinbergii (Weing.) N.P.Taylor: It has stems that are 5 to 15 cm thick with 14 or 15 ribs and 8 to 11 spines per areole. It has pink diurnal flower. The petals are narrowly acute in shape. Distribution: Zacatecas.
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
2) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey "The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass" Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
3) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
4) Nathaniel Lord Britton, Joseph Nelson Rose “Cactaceae: Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family” Courier Dover Publications, 1963
5) Cactus and Succulent Journal - Volume 80, 1-6 2008 - Page 132
Cultivation and Propagation: It is relatively easy to grow on its own roots.
Growth rate: It is a relatively slow growing and easily flowering species that will make clumps given the best conditions.
Soils: It likes very porous standard cactus mix soil.
Repotting: It has a strong tap root and should have a deep pot to accommodate it. Use pot with good drainage.
Watering: Water carefully, too much water will make it rot, keep dry in winter.
Fertilization: Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer.
Hardiness: Keep dry at minimum temperature of 5° C in winter although will tolerate brief periods to -10 degrees. Sun Exposure: Full sun to light shade. However warmth throughout the year will increase the grower's success (5-12°C during rest season).
Exposition: Outside full sun to light shade or afternoon shade, inside it needs bright light, and some direct sun. Subject to sunburn if exposed to direct sun for too long. Tends to bronze in strong light, which encourages flowering.
Uses: It is an excellent plant for container growing. It always looks good and stays small. It look fine in a cold greenhouse and frame or outdoor in a rockery.
Pests & diseases: It may be attractive to a variety of insects, but plants in good condition should be nearly pest-free, particularly if they are grown in a mineral potting-mix, with good exposure and ventilation. Nonetheless, there are several pests to watch for:
- Red spiders: Red spiders may be effectively rubbed up by watering the plants from above.
- Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new growth among the wool with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects.
- Scales: Scales are rarely a problem.
- Rot: Rot is only a minor problem with cacti if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly. If they are not, fungicides won't help all that much.
Propagation: It grow easily from seed or cutting (if available).
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