CactiGuide.com Custom Nomenclature - System Default About This | Login
Notes for the Genus:
Oroya
Etymology -Named after the town Oroya in Peru which is near the location where the first plants were discovered.
Another small genus of high-elevation plants from the Andes mountains in Peru. Oroya species are barrel-shaped with many ribs that are topped with usually-dense pectinate spines. The spines typically bright yellow or reddish brown which creates an unexpectedly striking appearance. Stems are solitary and not large - growing up to 13 inches (32 cm) high, and 9 inches (22 cm) in diameter.
Flowers are borne near the top, often in a ring and point straight up. They range in color from bright-yellow to brilliant pink/red. Flowers are relatively small at less than an inch long and radially symmetric with recurved outer perianth parts. Fruits are small, rounded and fleshy.
Oroya is grown in cultivation by enthusiasts, who typically start them from seed as they are not readily available commercially. As flowers are infrequent, many growers appreciate them for their overall appearance and consider the flowers icing on the cake.