Astrophytum 'Fukuryu Hakujo'
Astrophytum 'Fukuryu Hakujo is a selected cultivar of the popular "kabuto" cactus Astrophytum asterias, prized by hobbyists for combining two distinct mutations in a single body. The name pairs fukuryu — the deeply wrinkled, folded ridging that runs across the rib faces — with hakujo, the continuous white woolly lines that run down the crest of each rib, giving a plant whose whole surface is both sculpted and boldly striped in white.
Description
Like other forms of Astrophytum asterias, the body is low, rounded and spineless, divided into (usually) eight broad ribs. What sets 'Fukuryu Hakujo' apart is the interplay of its two selected traits:
- The fukuryu character shows as raised, wrinkled folds and puckering across the rib surfaces, so the plant looks embossed or crumpled rather than smoothly domed.
- The hakujo character merges the usual row of separate woolly areoles into a solid, unbroken line of white wool running the full length of each rib crest, so each rib is lined in white down its centre.
Together these produce a deeply sculpted, white-lined body — the pale stripes accentuating every fold. Fine white flecking (the trichome dusting typical of asterias) may also speckle the green skin between the ribs. Flowers, when they appear, are the familiar silky yellow blooms with a reddish throat, opening from the woolly crown.
The strength of both traits varies from seedling to seedling and tends to become more pronounced as the plant matures, so selection and grow-on time both matter.
Cultivation
Care is as for the parent species; see Astrophytum asterias for the full picture. In short, give bright light, a fast-draining mineral-rich mix (see Soil and potting mix), and water sparingly, letting the mix dry fully between drinks and keeping the plant dry and cool through winter dormancy (see Watering). Protect from frost.
A couple of notes specific to this cultivar:
- The heavy white hakujo lines and the folds of the fukuryu surface can trap water and debris. Water at the roots rather than overhead, and give good airflow so the crown and grooves dry quickly — this greatly reduces the risk of rot lodging in the wool.
- As with most heavily selected asterias forms, strong, even light keeps the body compact and the ridging crisp; too little light flattens the sculpting and encourages soft, etiolated growth.
Many growers keep choice plants on their own roots, but slow or weak seedlings are often grafted to build them up quickly (see Grafting).
Propagation
Propagation is chiefly by seed, as with the parent species; the fukuryu and hakujo traits are heritable to a degree but segregate variably, so growers sow generously and select the best-expressing seedlings. Grafting onto a vigorous stock is commonly used to speed up promising youngsters rather than to propagate the cultivar as such.
See also
- Astrophytum asterias — the parent species
- Astrophytum — the genus overview
- Grafting · Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — seed