Эспостоа

Family Cactaceae. Эспостоа originate from Peru and southern Ecuador, where they grow on dry slopes of hills and mountains at altitudes from 1000 to 2300 m above sea level.

Description: columnar plant with erect shoots branching from the base, reaching 3.6 m in height. They are so densely covered with hairs that the straight, rounded ribs are almost indistinguishable. Stems of mature plants are rarely more than 10 cm in diameter; their surface is covered with 20–30 ribs. On the ribs are very closely spaced areoles with dense woolly down, bearing up to 12 thin radial spines 1.25 to 2.5 cm long, white to pinkish-yellow in color. In many species central spines appear late, approximately in the 10th–12th year of life; often they are only about 2.5 cm long, but in old specimens reach 7.5 cm and in some cases differ in color from the radials. Эспостоа develop true lateral cephaliums, which are clusters of heavily pubescent, hairy areoles, usually located only on one side of the shoot. Flowers appear on those same areoles. They are bell-shaped, up to 5 cm in diameter; the floral tube is covered with scales and hairs; in species that flower at night, the flowers are white. Fruits are slightly oval, covered, as is the floral tube, with scales and hairs, up to 3.8 cm long.

Эспостоа are most often propagated by sowing seeds, although, as with most other cacti, offsets that appear on old plants can be used for this purpose. Seedlings grow very slowly and during the first five years are susceptible to overwatering, as they easily rot at the soil surface. They are planted in a mixture of sand and leaf mold and kept under slightly shaded glass for the first years. Watering is cautious, more abundant in hot weather. In winter, with high air humidity, the temperature should not drop below 8 °C, although in natural conditions the plants tolerate larger drops in temperature. The hairs covering the plant provide reliable protection. Older specimens are watered more heavily, but only after the root ball has dried out.

Эспостоа bloom, as do most other columnar and globose cacti that form cephaliums, only at a considerable age; therefore they are grown for the beauty of the densely hairy plant.