Aztekium ritteri f. cristata
Aztekium ritteri f. cristata is a crested (fasciated) form of Aztekium ritteri, in which the growing point stretches into a line rather than a single dome, so the species' finely wrinkled ribs fan out into an undulating, brain- or coral-like mound. Because Aztekium is one of the slowest-growing of all cacti, this crest is almost always grown grafted onto a faster rootstock to make it manageable in cultivation. Care otherwise follows the parent species, Aztekium ritteri.
Description
Where a normal Aztekium ritteri builds a small, greyish-green globe of a few folded, finely wrinkled ribs, the crested form abandons that radial symmetry. Its meristem (growing zone) becomes a continuous ridge, and the plant piles up into a low, sinuous wall of tissue whose surface keeps the species' characteristic fine transverse wrinkling and its sparse, soft, papery spines. The result is a dense, convoluted mound — no two crests look quite alike — often flushed a dusty blue-grey.
Like the parent, it is a diminutive plant; even an established crest remains small and grows at a famously glacial pace. Flowers, when they appear, are small, pale pink to whitish, and emerge from the woolly crest, much as in the ordinary form.
Cultivation
Cultivation is as for the parent species — see Aztekium ritteri for the full picture — with a few points specific to crests and to grafted plants.
- Grafting. The great majority of crested Aztekium in the hobby are grafted, commonly onto Myrtillocactus or a similar vigorous stock, which transforms the plant's otherwise painfully slow growth into something a grower can actually watch develop. A grafted crest needs the rootstock's own conditions honoured: a little more warmth and water than a plant on its own roots would tolerate. Plants grown on their own roots are prized but demand great patience and very careful watering.
- Light. Give bright light to keep the crest compact and well-coloured, but note that the species naturally grows on shaded cliffs and appreciates some protection from the harshest direct sun, which can scorch it; too little light, on the other hand, causes soft, distorted growth.
- Soil and water. Use a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix; water regularly through the warm months but let it dry fully between waterings. Crested tissue has a lot of surface and crevices where water can lodge, so the crown and folds are prone to rot if kept damp — water at the roots and keep the plant dry and cool in winter. See Repotting for handling these fragile, shallow-rooted plants.
Crests do not come true from seed; this form is maintained vegetatively, and offsets or portions of the crest can be re-grafted to propagate it.
See also
- Aztekium ritteri — the parent species
- Aztekium — the genus overview
- Grafting · Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting