Growth Habits: Up to 2 feet tall (60 cm), 5 inches in diameter (12 cm)
Scientific name; Parodia leninghausii
Common names: Golden Ball Cactus
Synonym: Eriocephala leninghausii, Malacocarpus leninghausii, Eriocactus leninghausii, Notocactus leninghausii, Echinocactus leninghausii
Etymology: Parodia The genus is named after the Argentinian botanist Dr. Lorenzo Raimundo Parodi (1895-1966).
Notocactus: The genus "Notocactus" derives from the Greek words notos meaning "south" indicating that the plants of this genus are from of the South (America) and the word cactus ( an old genus name)
(The genus name implies: "cactus of the south").leninghausii For Frederico Guilermo Leninghaus, a Brazilian collector who discovered the cactus.
Origin: Southern Brazil (Rio Grand do Sul)
Light: Full sun to light shade.
Compost. A free draining standard cactus mix.
Water: Regular water in spring to autumn, there is a certain amount of winter rainfall where these plants grow so i tend to give then a small splash of water once a month to prevent root dessication. (a matter of personal preference) certainly do not water excessively in winter.
Flower: The flower colour is yellow with white stigma.
Min temp: it is my understanding that habitat temps can go below freezing but i tend to overwinter mine with a min temp of 5 deg C (40 deg F)
Comments:
under the heading Etymology i include both Parodia and Notocactus as there is a possibility that notocacus may be split from Parodia
for many this plant will always be known as Notocactus leninghausii. i am eagerly awaiting Marlon Machado's PhD in notocacti and revision of the group hopefully sometime next year.
other images, juvenile form, this is generally what you will get at low cost from cactus nurseries or from box stores / garden centres
a more mature example in flower
a close-up of the flowers
