Trichocereus knuthianus (Echinopsis knuthiana)

Trichocereus knuthianus is a plant that can be found in many parts of Peru. As a species, it is much more diverse than the clone that it is mostly reduced to and there are various forms that belong into the context of Trichocereus knuthianus.  In addition, there are intermediates with Trichocereus schoenii, Trichocereus tarmaensis and Trichocereus cuzcoensis.

Alternative name: Echinopsis knuthiana

Synonyms: Trichocereus knuthiana, Trichocereus knuthianus, Trichocereus cuzcoensis var. knuthianus, Cereus knuthianus, Azureocereus deflexispinus, Cereus deflexispinus, Trichocereus tarmaensis, Trichocereus peruvianus var. Tarma, Trichocereus crassiarboreus, Trichocereus schoenii, Echinopsis schoenii, Echinopsi tarmaensis (not all, but some of them clearly belong into the knuthianus context as well)

Though Trichocereus knuthianus is still considered a correct species with the name Echinopsis knuthiana, it is closely related to Trichocereus cuzcoensis and Trichocereus peruvianus. There was never any good DNA testing done to verify or question this, which is why it is on our short list of species that we´ll test for our upcoming book on the genus Trichocereus. In my opinion, it is a relative of Trichocereus cuzcoensis. We will find out how related exactly once we´ve ran some tests.

Trichocereus knuthianus was discovered and described by Curt Backeberg on the upper course of the Rio Marañon. The plant was named after Graf F.M.Knuth, who was Curt Backeberg´s co-author in the book KAKTUS ABC and a financier for some of his trips.

Most plants that are available on the open market were originally sourced from Friedrich Ritters Seed list. Ritter´s collection number of Trichocereus knuthianus was FR567, sometimes also labeled as Trichocereus knuthianus f. pachanoi or Trichocereus knuthianus FR 677! This strain can be found in collections throughout the World though it is most common in Australia.

Ritter wrote that it´s probably synonymous with Trichocereus tarmaensis and I agree to a certain degree. In addition, he shared the opinion that Trichocereus knuthianus is actually a variety of Trichocereus cuzcoensis, which is most likely correct as well. Trichocereus cuzcoensis only grows in Cusco, but its close relatives grow all over Peru, e.g. Trichocereus tarmaensis, Trichocereus schoenii, etc.

Curt Backeberg, on the other hand did absolutely not agree with Ritter´s attempt to nullify Backeberg´s species, as it would mean that his newly described “species” would´ve become invalid. Generally speaking, Friedrich Ritter knew that plant very well .

Mature plants of Echinopsis knuthiana in habitat tend to have that tree-like rounded log-shape that you can observe on Trichocereus cuzcoensis too. Most other Trichocereus species do not form such  a rounded and tree-like stump, which is another indicator for its genetic proximity to the Cuzcoensis complex.

Trichocereus knuthianus is very widespread and grows in Central Peru and some Departments that surround it.

Title photo: Sams Plants

Above: Fields Knuthianus aka Fields Knuth

This Picture shows FR 677. Unfortunately not a very good pic:

Rodni Kisar

Photos below: Delia and Rodni Kisar

Trichocereus cuzcoensis – Echinopsis cuzcoensis

Trichocereus cuzcoensis is a Trichocereus species from Cusco in Peru. It is described as from Cusco and in sense  of the description plants only count as being part of this species if they are from Cusco, but close relatives of Trichocereus cuzcoensis also occur in many other parts of Peru, e.g. Trichocereus knuthianus, Trichocereus schoenii, Trichocereus tarmaensis, etc.

Trichocereus cuzcoensis is currently still called Echinopsis cuzcoensis, but many good authors have abandoned this sinking ship and went back to use the Trichocereus names. Trichocereus cuzcoensis, also known as Echinopsis cuzcoensis, is an accepted species, despite it´s obvious similarity to Trichocereus peruvianus. There are countless intermediates between Trichocereus peruvianus and Trichocereus cuzcoensis (especially where both grow together) and there are many regional forms that show traits of both species.  As an example, there are Peruvianoid forms of Trichocereus cuzcoensis and there are specimens of Trichocereus peruvianus that show some traits of Trichocereus cuzcoensis. Personally, I think that Trichocereus cuzcoensis and Trichocereus peruvianus are so similar that they are at least subspecies or varieties of the same species. We´ve already seen lots of different regional forms of Trichocereus cuzcoensis. Everywhere T.cuzcoensis grows in direct neighborhood of Trichocereus peruvianus, they hybridize with each other and form transitional forms. The whole group around Trichocereus peruvianus is extremely variable and that also includes Trichocereus cuzcoensis as well. Please note that Trichocereus cuzcoensis is MORE than just Karel Knize´s KK242, which has become THE textbook definition of a cuzco. The hate around KK242 is responsible for giving the species a bad rep and that´s absolutely not justified as far as we are concerned. It´s a beautiful and unique species and large mother plants are usually stunning.

Because there are countless forms of Trichocereus cuzcoensis or its close relatives, we started collecting as many photos as we can to put them here together. 

Description of T. cuzcoensis:

Trichocereus Cuzcoensis is a columnar cactus that grows columnar and is pupping from the base. It can get more than five meters tall, though most collection plants that are grown in pots do not exceed 2 meters. However, in countries like Australia, there are many huge plants of Trichocereus cuzcoensis to be found. New growth has a bright green color. It can get between 7 -9 rounded Ribs and the areoles are approximately 1-2 centimeters apart from each other. Trichocereus cuzcoensis has many, very strong spines. The number of spines is very variable but in most cases, I observed between 8-12 spines. The spines usually have a rounded, knobby base. New spine growth is yellow or dark brown while old spine growth is usually dark gray to white with slight black undertones or black spine tips. The spines usually are between 5-10 centimeters long. If you have a suspected E.cuzcoensis with a low rib count, it is likely not a Cuzco but a close relative such as the plants from San Marcos, T. schoenii, T. santaensis, etc.

Trichocereus cuzcoensis is a night-flowering species but the flowers usually stay fresh until the morning of the next day. It is self-sterile and you need another specimen as pollen donor in order to produce seed.

Flower:

The flower color is white and the flower is usually very large. It measures up to 16 centimeters, the tube is green and 7-8 centimeters long. Petals are approximately 5 centimeters long and there are hairs covering the flower.

Type locality:

Peru, Cuzco. Cuzcoensis relatives from other areas do not count as T.cuzcoensis is the sense of the description.

Synonyms, commercial names & Varieties:

Trichocereus knuthianus, Trichocereus crassiarboreus, Cereus cuzcoensis, KK242, KK340, KK1911 Knuthianus, Trichocereus tarmaensis. Please note that some of these are close relatives that we count in the winder context of this species.

Cultivation:

Trichocereus Cuzcoensis is grown just like other Trichocereus species. It´s a very tough and frost hardy species and is able to cope with temperatures down to -9° celsius/15.8° Fahrenheit for short periods of time. The minimum average temperature is 10° celsius/50° fahrenheit. That temperature is also the minimum temperature that it needs to stay healthy during the winter.

Winter protection:

Trichocereus cuzcoensis can be overwintered in a bright and well ventilated place. The temperature should be around 9-10° Celsius and the plants need to be completely dry. In european countries, the growers stop giving water and fertilizer in late summer (September or October) and take em in until early May or April. Keeping the plants dry and cold over winter also helps to increase flower production. Plants that are kept in a warm room over the winter lose their ability to flower. Besides, plants or seedlings need to be watered on a regular basis as soon as you have them in a heated room. If you want to overwinter a Trichocereus in a warm room (20°-30° Celsius), you have to water it on a regular basis. You can only overwinter a plant “dry” if the temperatures are low.

Growing Trichocereus cuzcoensis from seed: Trichocereus cuzcoensis is very easy from seed, because it is relatively resistant to most pests. One of the biggest challenges is to get good quality seed because most cuzcoensis seed on the market is pretty old and some do not even germinate. I am constantly looking for interesting new types of Trichocereus cuzcoensis, because they are amazing plants. Take a look at the pics from the Sacred Succulents Field Trips that are labeled “Cuzcoensis” and you will most likely agree. Germination temperature for Trichocereus cuzcoensis is between 26° and 30° celsius. It only needs very little water to induce germinations and if you have quality seed, they will germinate within 2-6 weeks. If nothing shows up by the 6th week, you will probably not get germinations at all. In this case, remove the lid, let the soil dry out and start with the germination process again. Those cycles mimic the way this actually happens in nature and sometimes, you will be able to re-activate dead seed. You can also add GA-3, which is Gibberelic Acid or use a strong HPS or LED lamp to wake the seeds up, because ultraviolet light increases germination rates. In general, Trichocereus seeds need light to germinate, so do not cover them with soil.

Trichocereus cuzcoensis Seed Sources: I have some great seeds in my shop right now. The first one comes from Huancavelica in Peru and the other one is somewhere between Trichocereus peruvianus and Trichocereus cuzcoensis.

This looks like a very typical Trichocereus cuzcoensis KK242. This strain was originally brought into cultivation by Karel Knize. He also sold various types of similar plants labeled as Trichocereus cuzcoensis, Trichocereus macrogonus or Trichocereus peruvianus. The label KK242 does not refer to a particular plant but the area where the seeds/cuttings were collected at. Because of that, there are many plants labeled KK242 which are NOT a Trichocereus cuzcoensis. The type just looks so unique and remarkable that it stuck and most plants that look like this are usually identified as KK242. Which is not really correct because that´s just one of the many types that grow within the KK242 range. However, most of the KK242 are in fact Trichocereus cuzcoensis. Pic: Master Evan

Another KK242

Below: A form of KK242 that is not a Trichocereus cuzcoensis.

One of the many faces of KK242. Copyright K.Trout

Ben Kamm

Copyright: Ben Kamm, Sacred Succulents

Also check out this posting with many cool Cuzcos fom the Sacredsucculents Field Trips!

Nitrogen

Nitrogen

 Delia Kisar 

Rodni Kisar

KK242 Echinopsis cuzcoensis

Videos of Trichocereus cuzcoensis / Echinopsis cuzcoensis

Trichocereus santaensis / Echinopsis santaensis descriptions

Trichocereus santaensis is columnar cactus and species described by Curt Backeberg and Werner Rauh. It is endemic to the Santa Valley in Peru. There are many different forms that belong into the larger context of T. santaensis, e.g. Trichocereus sp. Chavin de Huantar also known as El Lanzon, Trichocereus huanucoensis, Trichocereus pallarensis and many others.

Origin of Trichocereus santaensis

Northern Peru, the valley around the Rio Santa, Puente, Bedoya, Huayanca

Can be kept apart from Trichocereus cuzcoensis by the absence of swollen spine bases. It also has a more frosted blue skin color, has fewer spines and shorter middle spines. Unlike Trichocereus peruvianus, it grows always columnar and does not grow prostrate.

Trichocereus Santaensis – Huntington Botanical Garden – by Richard Hipp!

Description of Trichocereus santaensis Rauh & backb g -. Descr. Cact. Nov. 20, 1956

Trichocereus santaensis can get up to five meters high and branches from the bottom. The stems are blue-green to a glaucous green. It has 7-9 ribs that are similarly broad than the ones on Trichocereus knuthianus aka Echinopsis knuthiana. There is a distinct furrow above the areoles. This distinct V-Notch is very strong in young pups. The areoles have a diameter of approximately 1 centimeter and Trichocereus santaensis has between 1-3 radial spines. Spines medium long to short. In addition, Trichocereus santaensis has one very long middle spine, which is up to 5 centimeters long.

Flower: The flower is white and gets up to 22 centimeters in length. It has a similar flower than other San Pedro types, which is another indicator that Trichocereus santaensis is just a regional form of another species, e.g. T. pachanoi or T. peruvianus.

Origin/Habitat: Rio Santa, Puente, Huayacana, Bedoya.

Trichocereus santaensis is very similar to Trichocereus cuzcoensis and is constantly confused with it. However, it does NOT have rounded, knobby spine bases. Besides, the spination is less strong and grows always columnar instead of creeping. Today, the species would probably not be considered to be correct and extensive DNA testing is necessary to look into the limits of this species and where other species begin.

Please note that T. santaensis is very variable due to the high number of regional forms. Some of which have red spines, some with yellow spines and some where the spines are completely absent.

In the Chapter of Trichocereus peruvianus, Backeberg wrote about its growth type:

 

This is Backebergs Key for Trichocereus santaensis

Branches to 10 cm ∅
Blue green shoots
Ribs 7, very broad, strongly furrowed,
Not flattened furrows
Spines gray-brown, brighter towards the base
Middle spines:
1 spine is longer, spines up to 4 cm long. 

Friedrich Ritter´s description of Trichocereus santaensis

Trichocereus SANTAENSIS RAUH & BACKBG. 1956 RAUH: BEITRÄGE PERUANISCHER KAKTEENVEGETATION
1958, s. 361
Differences from TR. Pachanoi (data for the latter in parentheses):
Body gray-green (grass green to bluish green). Ri. 6-7, usually 6 (5-8, in
Peru medium to 10 and even higher), on the Areoles a slight v-shaped
Notch (little cross notch). Ar. 3-5 mm Dm
Spines: few or absent,Rsp. to 3, a few mm to 3 cm long,
Middle Spines. usually one, often it is the only Spine, a few mm to 4 cm long.
Flower. Near the apex, about 18-19 cm long, about 12 cm wide open (up to 20 cm wide between the
outer petals), obliquely upward (about protruding horizontally), just
(with two slight curves). Nectar Chamber 19 mm long (slightly longer), without
significant gap (small space), with little or no
Nectar (with some nectar). Tube about ca 6 cm long with 2.5 cm further
Opening (longer and wider). Petals slightly shorter and narrower, the outer
almost adjacent to the interior Ones (strongly bent outwards),
SANTA Valley at 2000 m and about Depart. Ancash; only here. No. FR 567a.
Fig. 1,188,

Trichocereus santaensis / Echinopsis santaensis at the Rio Santa (Riley Flatten)

Photos below Trichocereus santaensis / Echinopsis santaensis in Chavin de Huantar, El Lanzon (Riley Flatten)

Trichocereus sp. ‘Isla del Sol’ (Echinopsis)

This population from the Bolivian island ‘Isla Del Sol’ belongs into the distant complex of Trichocereus bridgesii / Echinopsis lageniformis. However, it is currently discussed whether or not this plant is actually a different species and DNA testing is required to look into its status.  Sacred Succulents visited this population during their Field Trips and made some amazing photos. I also have some sick photos of it in my first book.

BK08601.1 Trichocereus Isla del Sol, Bolivia

Now, this is one of the most interesting Trichocereus species that were visited during the Sacred Succulents Field Trips! All the photos shown here are from Ben Kamm & Sacredsucculents.com! This was from the 2008 Field Trip and it is very similar to an intermediate between Trichocereus bridgesii and something from the Trichocereus cuzcoensis complex. Trichocereus cuzcoensis is mostly known for the plants in Cusco that were used to write the original description, but there are similar plants and relatives of Trichocereus cuzcoensis that can be found in other Peruvian states.

It also reminds me a little bit of Trichocereus knuthianus, which also belongs to the Cuzcoensis complex and has similar, massive areoles. Those plants are definitely very old…how they evolved exactly is not known.
Sacred Succulents gave away seed of this amazing species in 2008, but I do not know of anyone who raised some of them so far. If you happen to own this type, please let me know because it´s on my most-wanted list and I urgently need more pics of seed grown plants. The Isla Del Sol is an area that can be found in the southern part of the Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. It´s a wonderful area that is filled with ancient ruins and that screams “History”. I do not know if those plants were intentionally planted there or if they just evolved, but it´s definitely one of the coolest Trichocereus species out there.

Copyright: Ben Kamm, Sacredsucculents.com

BK08601.2 Trichocereus Isla del Sol, Bolivia

This is another Plant from the same region. Judging by the looks of it, it grows very nearby. The Plant is somehow connected to the Trichocereus cuzcoensis Complex and is simply awesome!

Gnosis Garden Clone (Trichocereus cuzcoensis)

Floyd from Magical Botanicals grew this from seed imported from Gnostic Garden. He brought about 24 of these seedlings to one of the early Australian conferences [Ethnobotanica 1 or 2 in 2001/2002] and sold them there. SAB bought a few and conference participants snapped up the rest. As well as these 24 plants, he also supplied an unknown number to a shop called Medicine Garden. All of these plants were sold as ‘Gnosis’ – a name either Floyd or Torsten from SAB decided on at the conference. That means that technically, Gnosis is a strain or regional form of T. cuzcoensis, not a clone. Though there are many similarities to the importer GNOSTIC GARDEN, the name is indeed „Gnosis Garden Clone”, not “Gnostic Garden Clone” or “Gnosis”. SAB sold all of their propagating stock at one stage, so they had to go back to their single display plant for prop material. Therefore, for the last 10 years or more all gnosis originating from SAB is indeed a clone from a single plant.
GNOSTIC GARDEN delivered Gnosis to a large number of smaller shops, who imported it into Australia in the late 90s or 2000s. The Gnosis Garden Clone (though not originally a clone, but later on) became of the most common clones in Australia at that time. It is very likely that this strain probably originated from Knize, who is (BY FAR) the biggest source for different types from the Tr. cuzcoensis group  and it´s very likely that Gnostic Garden got their stock from Knize; either directly or indirectly through the hands of another retailer or wholesaler. The wide distribution makes this clone one of the most common strains in Australia. It has massive long spines with rounded spine bases and a typical Cuzcoensis appearance. Due to the fact that Knize has offered all kinds of types from the Cuzcoensis group over the past 50 years, it´s probably not possible to pin this clone down to a certain KK number.

The GNOSIS GARDEN CLONE (GNOSTIC GARDEN) was also sold by the SAB nursery and can be bought from them.

Pic: MUTANT

Photo: Conv3rge (Plant from the SAB store)

Chavín de Huántar: Trichocereus santaensis & El Lanzon

Chavín de Huántar is an archaeological site in Peru with a long history of Trichocereus cultivation. There are plants that can be found within the ruins and those plants probably go back for many thousands of years. The ruins are thought to be from 1200BC and the age of this complex is energetically discussed among archaeologists.

This legendary place is located in the Ancash area and holds great religious as well as historic significance, which is why the center was in the midst of the Chavin culture. It is located near the important Peruvian city Lima and lies at the confluence of two large rivers: The Rio Mosnar and the Huanchecsa river. The Trichocereus strains from this area have a huge botanic variability and the area is home to a large number of different plants and Trichocereus species.

Photo: Sharon ODB

Map: Urutseg

Photos from the Sacred Succulents Field Trips. Ben Kamm, Sacredsucculents.com. 

Trichocereus sp, Chavindehuantar, Ancash, Peru 

The regional form known from this area is probably somewhere between Trichocereus cuzcoensis and Trichocereus peruvianus. We saw plants that clearly belonged into the Trichocereus santaensis group as well as other weird plants…some of which even look like Trichocereus huanucoensis.

BK09509.2 Trichocereus sp, Chavin, Ancash, Peru

Another great Specimen from the Ancash Region in Peru.

BK09508.2 Trichocereus sp, Chavin, Ancash, Peru 2009

BK09509.1 Trichocereus sp, Chavin, Ancash, Peru

BK09509.1 Trichocereus sp, Chavin, Ancash, Peru 2009

El Lanzon Trichocereus :

This legendary photo is made by Aplantis.net:

Photo: Aplantis.net

This plant has a great history and most people who visit the area can´t go by without taking loads of photos. It´s one of my most favorite plants.

Those plants were posted by ChavinHerbalist. They are trying to preserve the genetics and posted some amazing photos on Facebook. Check them out!

Photos below Trichocereus santaensis / Echinopsis santaensis in Chavin de Huantar, El Lanzon (Riley Flatten)

KK242 – Trichocereus cuzcoensis & more!

KK242 Trichocereus cuzcoensis is a collection number by the Peruvian seed & cactus seller Karel Knize. He is know for his many Trichocereus species and KK242 was one of them. But it´s not actually a species because we grew all kinds of different species from those KK242 seeds. Most were Trichocereus cuzcoensis, but that´s definitely not the complete story.

Most of the plants labeled as KK242 are representative for a very typical Trichocereus cuzcoensis. However, the KK242 is simply a collection name that stands for the area where the plants come from. And within that area, there are all kinds of different populations and all were sold using the same name. Imagine you live in a town and every plant is given the same collection name. That is what´s actually going on with KK242. Like already mentioned, the largest part of the plants labeled KK242 are Trichocereus cuzoensis. That is also because the name became the archetype of a typical Cuzcoensis and there are many people that label every one of their cuzcoensis plants “KK242”.And that´s neither correct nor practicable.

Now, most of the KK242s on the market were distributed by Knize´s website. If I remember correctly, none of the KK242 sold was actually labeled as Trichocereus cuzcoensis.

Those are the KK242 collections that I know of:

KK242 Trichocereus peruvianus – Matucana (frosted stem, brown spines)
KK242 Trichocereus peruvianus – Rio Chillon (from central Peru)
KK242 Trichocereus peruvianus – form. Langa
KK242 Trichocereus peruvianus – Rio Lurin (please note that the Lurin Trichocereus is actually a peruvianus, despite it being labeled as KK242!)
KK242 Trichocereus peruvianus – Huancavelica (which probably is a Peruvianus too)

Please note that apart from those different collection sites, there were cuttings and seeds from all kinds of mother plants sold and distributed throughout the world. That means that seed labeled as Kk242 can produce all kinds of plants, not just the KK242 Cuzcoensis.

Where to buy seeds and plants of KK242? : Well, if you are looking for a KK242, it is your lucky day. And that is because they are everywhere. On Ebay, a large part of the Trichocereus species sold are actually KK242s. Nonetheless, there also are other cuzcoensis varieties that you can encounter and many of them might even be labeled KK242, though they actually are a different cuzcoensis type from another location. And that´s why the bad image that the species Trichocereus cuzcoensis, or the KK242 in particular, receives is not justified. They are wonderful and amazing specimens and have such a great diversity that it´s totally not fair to reduce KK242 to that well know cuzcoensis type from Matucana. Some seed sellers might even have some KK242 in stock (and potentially labeled as Trichocereus peruvianus) though they are not aware of it. Most seed collectors or seed producers just label them “Trichocereus peruvianus” and since they don´t have the space or the funds to grow them all before they offer the seed, they don´t or simply can´t test it. Many people that sell cactus seed are still poor and they neither have the funds to grow them nor the knowledge to ID them. Of course, there are very skilled Taxonomists and Botanists from countries like Peru, Argentina or Bolivia. But there also are many people selling seeds or cuttings that are not.
Mislabeled seed is a problem that almost every seed salesman has to face from time to time and I know of a couple of cases in which large shop owners stopped doing business with certain collectors/wholesalers who sell mislabeled seeds that brought them into trouble with their customers. I recently came across someone who was pretty pissed for receiving a KK242 instead of the Tr. Peruvianus that he ordered. And with a good reason. But I guess it comes with the job that stuff like this happens from time to time. And if I were in the position of someone who ended up getting a cuzcoensis instead of a peruvianus, I´d just message the seller and explain the problem. You know, there are so many different types, varieties, and even intermediates, that it´s sometimes impossible to draw the line somewhere. Again, Trichocereus cuzcoensis is SO MUCH MORE than just KK242. And there are countless peruvianus types that are somehow related to cuzcoensis and show or two traits that are typical for cuzcoensis too.
Most wholesale seed collectors label their plant “Trichocereus Peruvianus” and keeping in mind the current taxonomy (which tends to merge the plants into a bigger species), it might even be the correct taxonomical label. Personally, I think a shop owner should add as much information about the background of a plant that he has, in order to give the customer a vague idea of what he can expect to grow. But since that´s not always possible (due to collectors just not labeling plants right) it´s the stuff that will always happen. And usually, that´s not because the seller is greedy SOB who wants to rip-off his customers, but because there aren’t so many people around who can keep peruvianus and cuzcoensis apart. Those collectors rarely are skilled with ID and though they sometimes know how the type they collect seed of is called by the locals, it´s far from being reliable. There are cuzcoensis forms available from Peru that come labeled as Trichocereus macrogonus or Trichocereus peruvianus. Because that´s how the other collectors labeled them. And chances are that other collectors will use the same name in the future, whenever they collect seed of that plant.

It´s not hard to recognize the KK242 cuzcoensis, but as I already said…where to draw the line? There are so many intermediatory forms that it´s kinda pointless because you´ll end up calling some perfectly peruvianoid types a Trichocereus cuzcoensis, just based on the fact that it has a couple characteristics that also exist on a cuzco.
Most of the people who offer “cuzcoensis” labeled as “peruvianus” probably weren’t even aware of the fact that their plants are more on the cuzco end of the spectrum. And since modern taxonomy went on to merge a lot of those species into the larger ones like “peruvianus” and “pachanoi”, this might happen a lot more in the future. And when dealing with seed collectors that visit local populations in Peru, Bolivia or anywhere else in the world…it´s rare that they include the collection sites with their seed or even add pics. I know many wholesalers, who have to grow their seed just to know what type they have bought. And if you keep in mind that some of those plants will take 3-5 years until they are big  enough to say anything about the local population, it get´s obvious that the remaining seed would have already become unviable in the meantime. And that is a problem that will never really go away. Of course, it´s actually a pretty bad situation but the short lifespan of some seeds is the reason why there are so many shaky ID´s when buying seed from Peru; or other areas where cacti are grown as commercial crops. But despite the fact that it can be frustrating to find out that you ended up buying mislabeled seed…I still prefer it to getting unviable seed.  Because thats the only thing worse than getting mislabeled seed.

So yeah, always ask where the seed is coming from. And ask about how fresh it is too! An honest seed supplier is EXTREMELY important because when growing plants from seed, a lot of this is based on trust. From all the cactus seed, I bought in my lifetime, at least 1/3 was unviable or misidentified. And as a buyer, that´s something that you can´t prevent. Some crosses just are bad or are a genetic mismatch. Or, some seeds are just too old.
So yeah, if there are issues with seeds contact your seed supplier and tell them/ask for a replacement. Not only can you help to weed out unreliable suppliers but you give the store owner a fair and honest feedback.  KK242 Trichocereus cuzcoensis is a type that is notorious for having a whole lot of bad seed available on the market. I honestly only heard about one or two people who successfully raised some of them from seed. One of them is the SAB store by the way. Apart from the two I just mentioned, I only heard of unviable KK242 seed. That doesn’t mean that there is/was no good KK242 Trichocereus cuzcoensis on the market…but please be careful when buying this type of seed because a lot of it is, well let´s call it “difficult”.

I have many pics on this website and most of them include data about where the plants are growing. It´s not always possible to guess how a seedling might look like in the future, but the collection site is a good starting point.
If you have pics of different KK242s, please let me know our Trichocereus Facebook group and I´ll add them to the site.

Pic: Master Evan

KK242 Matucana – Copyright Trout

KK242 Matucana, Copyright Trout

Another type that Knize sold as KK242. Please note that this plant looks nothing like the KK242 Cuzcoensis. It´s possible that it is related to the more Cuzcoensis type KK242, but it´s a great reminder that KK242 is nothing but a “location” and not, the plant!

The plant above is what was grown from KK242 Seeds from JLH.

 Copyright: K.Trout

KK242 – Rio Lurin or Lurin Valle

This Form is a Plant that is very different from the KK242 Cuzcoensis that became so common around the World. It´s more of a standard Trichocereus Peruvianus and looks absolutely stunning as an Adult Plant! Great Type!

TRICHOCEREUS KK242 Bridgesii

So this Peruvianus was grown from a KK242 Seed Bag. It is obviously not the typical Cuzcoensis Type Tricho so i found it noteworthy to add this plant.

Trichocereus KK242 Matucana

Trichocereus KK242 – Langa

Trichocereus Species from the Sacred Succulents Trips

On this page, I want to show some of the plants that my friends from Sacred Succulents visited during their Field Trips. I had those listed as separate pages, but it made the whole process to look at them a bit complicated. And that´s why I brought some of the species on one page. On this page, you can see some Trichocereus cuzcoensis, Trichocereus bridgesii, Trichocereus peruvianus and others.

BK08519.4 Trichocereus cuzcoensis, Pisac

This plant was visited during the 2008 Sacredsucculents Field Trip. It´s a beautiful Cuzcoensis that partially grows creeping. For some types of Trichocereus cuzcoensis and Trichocereus peruvianus, it´s definitely common that they can lean over and grow hanging down rocky slopes and cliffs. This Trichocereus cuzcoensis from Pisac is relatively typical Cuzcoensis that is not unlike the so well known and widely distributed KK242.

Ben from Sacred Succulents gave away a very limited amount of seeds to people who supported the Sacred Succulenst Field Trips with seed shares and this was one of them.

BK08521.12 Trichocereus cuzcoenis, Ollantaytambo

This one is another rather typical cuzcoensis, but that shows slight variation to what we usually know. This is a plant that is unlike the typical KK242, but which shows relationship to plants like the amazing cuzcos from the Bolivian Isla Del Sol. Definitely an amazing plant!

BK08526.4 Trichocereus cuzcoensis, Peru

I will add more Info about this Plant soon. It is a plant that was visited during the Sacred Succulents Field Trips. Picture by Ben Kamm from sacredsucculents.com!

Trichocereus cuzcoensis, Lamay, Cusco, Peru 2010 copyright B. Kamm

First One from the 2010 Sacred Succulents Field Trip! Trichocereus Cuzcoensis in Lamay, Cusco, Peru. Pic: Ben Kamm, Sacredsucculents.com

BK08526.11 Trichocereus cuzcoensis, Raqchi

I will add more Info about this Plant soon. It is a plant that was visited during the Sacred Succulents Field Trips. Picture by Ben Kamm from sacredsucculents.com!

BK08612.9 Trichocereus peruvianus, Sucro, Peru

Trichocereus Pervianus from Sucro! Pic: Ben Kamm, Sacredsucculents.com!

Trichocereus Bridgesii Mutant Achuma, above Huachjilla, La Paz, Bolivia 2010

One of the coolest Plants I ever saw! A mutated Trichocereus Bridgesii growing above Huachjilla, La Paz, Bolivia. Pic: Ben Kamm, Sacredsucculents.com

Trichocereus bridgesii-baby Achuma, above Huachjilla, La Paz, Bolivia

Another very small Baby Bridgesii from La Paz. Taken during the 2010 Sacred Succulents Field Trip! Pic: Ben Kamm, Sacredsucculents

Trichocereus peruvianus, Fortaleza Canyon, Ancash, Peru

A very cool Peruvianus from the FORTALEZA CANYON in Ancash, Peru. Ben Kamm

Trichocereus seedling, Sedum, Peperomia, Chavin, Ancash, Peru

Another small Peruvianus Seedling, growing in relationship with Peperomia and Sedum. Pic: Ben Kamm, Sacredsucculents.com.

Trichocereus peruvianus baby, Huariquina. Lima, Peru

Another Pic from the Sacred Succulents 2009 Field Trip! Pic: Ben Kamm, Sacredsucculents.com!

BK08526.12 Trichocereus cuzcoensis, Raqchi

I will add more Info about this Plant soon. It is a plant that was visited during the Sacred Succulents Field Trips. Picture by Ben Kamm from sacredsucculents.com!

BK08608.4 Trichocereus bridgesii, El Vergel, La Paz, Bolivia

Another Bridgesii from La Paz, Bolivia. Pic: Ben Kamm, sacredsucculents.com. More text will follow soon.

Wild Trichocereus peruvianus-pachanoi hybrid, Huariquina. Lima, Peru  

Trichocereus bridgesii, Huachjilla, Bolivia

Another Plant from the 2008 Sacred Succulents Fieldtrip! Trichocereus Bridgesii around Huachjilla, Bolivia.

Unfortunately, there were no seed collected from this amazing plant.

Trichocereus puquiensis / Echinopsis puquiensis

The species Trichocereus puquiensis, also known as Echinopsis puquiensis, was described by Rauh & Backeberg as Trichocereus puquiensis Rauh et Backeberg nov. spec.. The description was originally published in DESCR. CACT. NOV. vol. 20 in 1956.

Depending on who you ask, there is a constant debate about whether or not this species is a “good name”. Anderson included it in his Cactus Lexicon as Echinopsis peruvianus ssp. puquiensis. Personally, I think that this plant is closer to Trichocereus pachanoi than it is to Trichocereus peruvianus. On the other hand, I also think that Tr. pachanoi and Tr. peruvianus are probably a very large and variable species with many intermediates between the two and I would not mind to throw Tr. puquiensis in there as well. The rib structure and areole shape of Tr. puquiensis is similar to the one on Tr. pachanoi. The big difference is that Tr. puquiensis has 8 – 11 ribs and a strong groove above the aroles. Please note that there are many different types from the Puquio region, what is the cause for the large number of different plants that go by this name.

Trichocereus Puquiensis gets up to 4 meters tall, but most plants are around 2 meters. It pups from the base and grows as columnar shoots, growing upwards. Tr. puquiensis has no cuzcoensis-ribs but a very similar spination. Think of it as a 8 – 11 ribbed Pachanoi with long cuzco spines that lack the typical cuzcoensis swollen spine bases. This is another giveaway that helps you to ID it.
The color of the epidermis is blue/green. It reaches a maximum diameter of 10-20 centimeters with ribs that are between 1-2 centimeters high, the areoles are 1-2 centimeter in diameter and felted, similar to the areoles on Trichocereus cuzcoensis.
Trichocereus puquiensis has 10-12 radial spines that are up to 2,5 centimeters long. The new spine growth of the radial spines is brown. It also has 1-2 long middle spines, of which one or two are pointing upwards. Those middle spines are 8-12 centimeters long. New spine growth is brown and old spine growth is gray, very similar to the one on Tr. cuzcoensis. You see it´s not a typical Pachanoi but a intermediate that involves traits of various species. Please note that there are some plants in the Puquio habitat that are in fact cuzcoensis related, and the Trichocereus puquiensis from Karel Knize is actually one of them.

Flowers: The flowers are 15-22 centimeters large and white. A typical San Pedro flower. The tube is up to 2.5 centimeters thick and hairy.

Fruit: Unkown. Probably similar to Pachanoi or cuzcoensis fruits.

Habitat: Puquio, Department Ayacucho and it only occurs there. It grows in neighborhood of Erdisia Quadringularis. Rauh assigned the collection number K119.

This is Rauh´s original, latin description, which slightly differs from mine.

Planta 3-4 m alta, a basi ramosa; caules columniformes glauci, 8-10 costati usque 15 cm crassi: costae angustae, ca- 1,5 cm altae; areolae 1cm in dia. lutei-brunnescenti-tomentosae, aculeis marginalibus ca. 10 usque 2cm longis, in calulibus hornis brunneis;aculei centrales plerumque 2, quorum superior oblique erectus vel transverse patents, usque 10 cm longus, basalis oblique deflexus 5-8 cm longus, in caule hornio badius, senectute canus; flores usque 15 cm longi, tubus floralis etiam in statu ante efflorationem rectus, usque 2cm crassus, squamis bractaeneis dense obtectus, quarum pars libera late trigona, in apicem obscurum excurrens, in axillis earum pili lanei brunneo-atri; phylla perigonii exteriora subtus basi rubiginosa, supra virescentia, interiora alba, filamenta, stylus et stigmata virescentia, radii stigmatis 19, ca. 5mm longi, cavum ovarii ferequadrangulare, 0,7cm in dia., nectarium 1,5 cm. longum, angustissimum, stylo crasso fere omnino expletum; fructus ignoti.

Friedrich Ritter sold Seed labeled as FR 155b. Ritter said that the Species would rather resemble Trichocereus pachanoi than Trichocereus cuzcoensis and I tend to agree. The species is limited to the pacific part of the Andes, while Tr. Cuzcoensis grows on the Atlantic Part. After years of investigating I finally think that Ritter was probably right, what means that Tr. puquiensis is more on the Pachanoi end of the spectrum. He knew the South American cacti better than everyone else, but during that time, many regional varieties were described as species and most of them did not age well and ended up being merged into Tr. peruvianus or Tr. pachanoi. I thought about this species a lot, and I guess there are plants that have traits of more than one species.

Karel Knize sold seeds & plants under that name too. Knize´s Trichocereus puquiensis is extremely close to Trichocereus cuzcoensis, but has a couple more ribs than a standard cuzcoensis.  Apart from that, the ribs are clearly Pachanoi ribs. I´ve seen plants with five ribs and some with ten.

Every time you come across a plant with more ribs than usual, Trichocereus puquiensis should be a considered option. It also does not have rounded spine basis, what clearly differentiates it from Trichocereus cuzcoensis. Knize´s version is becoming more and more common because Karel Knize sold large amounts of seed and plants in the past years.

Cultivation of Trichocereus puquiensis:

There is very few information about frost tolerance of Trichocereus puquiensis available. It should be grown like a standard Trichocereus pachanoi or peruvianus, because it´s general growth type is similar to that. It can tolerate frost but temperatures should not be lower than -5° to -10° celsius. Plants should be kept totally dry over winter.

Buy seeds or plants of Trichocereus puqiensis: 

You can buy seeds of Trichocereus puquiensis in my shop.

In the USA, I know of one supplier that grows the genuine Tr. puquiensis from Rauh & Backeberg´s description. Cactusaffinity.com! In Australia you can get live cuttings from the SAB shop.

Photo: Shaman-Australis.com

This is KK1689:

This Pic is from Backeberg´s description:

How to support us?

If you like what we do, please support us. Little sites like ours can only exist with a strong community behind us. For example, join our Trichocereus community on Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter. 

If you want to read more about the genus Trichocereus, start here or here.

Crowdfunding Campaign TRICHOCEREUS book VOLUME 1

This is the crowdfunding campaign post for our first Trichocereus book TRICHOCEREUS VOLUME 1: THE SAN PEDRO GROUP.

Hi guys, I just wanted to take the time to let you all know about the status of my crowd funding campaign for the printing costs of my book TRICHOCEREUS VOLUME 1: THE SAN PEDRO GROUP. Until 2016, this book was available exclusively through my Indiegogo campaign here: https://igg.me/at/2h2Jsr6XawQ/x/13533390.

The campaign is now closed, but it is now up for sale in our shop here:

https://trichocereus.net/product/the-san-pedro-group-book-trichocereus-patrick-noll

I´ve been working on this book for a few years now and it´s finally getting close to a release date. It´ll have more than 300 all-color pages and will contain hundreds of color pics showing plants from the San Pedro Group in the habitat, botanic gardens and collections worldwide. There were dozens of well known people helping me with photos for this book and I am extremely proud that I was given the chance to write it! I´ll make sure it´ll be a high quality book that will look awesome on your shelf! There will be descriptions, photos and cultivation advice as well as a detailed guide on how to germinate difficult seed. The book takes a close look at flowers, fruits and old names that are no longer valid. This book contains a whole lot of different species and commercial varieties like Trichocereus pachanoi, Trichocereus peruvianus, Trichocereus bridgesii, Trichocereus scopulicola, Trichocereus tarmaensis, Trichocereus cuzcoensis, Trichocereus huanucoensis, Trichocereus pallarensis and many, many more!

The printing costs are somewhere between 10.000 – 12.000 Euros and that´s why I started the campaign on Indiegogo two days ago. Now after just 2 days, the campaign already reached 69% of its goal and is getting new supporters every single day.

The number of available books is very limited. There only are 250 softcover books and 100 hardcover books available exclusively through the campaign. The hardcover books already sold out but I managed to add a few that I actually wanted to put in the Trichocereus shop. Both the softcover version as well as the hard cover version are available for a reduced crowd funding price to say thank you to all the backers. The soft cover version will costs 58 Euro (+shipping costs) and the hardcover version will cost 88 Euro (+shipping costs). Both versions will be printed on high quality paper and with high quality ink. But because of the increased price of the hardcover edition, I could use an even better paper- and ink quality as well as some thread stitching to provide a higher value for the collectors. All the hardcover books are limited, numbered and signed as way to thank you for your support!
There also are package deals and re-seller packages to make it easier for shops or group-buyers to buy it. The books will be printed in June and the shipping phase begins in June or July. If you are not able to participate in the campaign due to whatever reasons, just let me know and I´ll try to find a way to make it work. It´s important to me that everyone who supports this project will actually get one.

Alright guys, it counts now and if I can´t get the campaign funded, the books won´t look as brilliant as they will when it reaches its goal. So please support my project on Indiegogo. The crowdfunding campaign will run for 60 days and I hope to reach the goal within the first 2-3 weeks. If you have any questions or just want to get in touch with me, you can reach me through EG [ät] trichocereus.net. You can also get in touch with me through our Trichocereus Facebook Group!

Cover Design not final and subject to change.

Trichocereus tulhuayacensis

OCHOA, KAKTEEN UND ANDERE SUKKULENTEN 1957

This species is very rare and could only be found around Huancayo. This is the only San Pedro cactus in nature with a flower other than white. The flower is pink what indicates a natural hybrid of a San pedro with something else.

It gets up to 2 meters tall, has a dark green epidermis and can reach a maximum diameter of 10 to 12 centimeters. It shows a mild reddening around the Areoles, has 7-9 ribs (in most cases 8). The Areoles are 8-10 mm large with V-notches above them. The Diameter of the Areoles is 6-8 mm. The Areoles are yellowishly felted at first and change their color to a dark gray later on. It has 8 radial Spines (1,5 to 2,5 cm in lenght) and 3-4 middle spines (up to 8 centimeters) of which one is usually very long. It resembles Trichocereus Tarmaensis and is probably related to it. All spines apart from the long middle spine are usually bent down or pointing downwards. The large Spine is usually gray with a brown tip.

Flower: Flower tube 6,5 to 7 centimeters long, 2,5 centimeter in diameter, reddish & dark green. Scales are approximately 1,8 cm distanced with black or gray brown hairs. Hair is also present on the ovary. Sepales are pink green with with pink edge and up to 6 cm long. Petals pink to ivory. Up to 5 cm long.

Fruit up to 4,5 cm in diameter. With lots of brown hairs.

Origin: Middle of Peru (10 kilometers away from Huancayo, 3400 m near Huachac. It was found by C. OCHOA

I am really happy about those pics because this Trichocereus is really rare. It is very similar to a Cuzcoensis and I don´t think it´s possible to spot this plant at a plant sale. You have to collect it at the original location in Huachac, Peru at 3200 meters. And even if you can, there is a white flowering KK337 and a red flowering KK337. I am not sure how the Sacred Succulents plant will flower but chances are it will flower in white.

Trichocereus Tulhuayacensis KK337 x Trichocereus Bridgesii. Pic by Richard Hipp! Please note that those plants can look identical to Trichocereus Cuzcoensis and I know a whole lot of people who would label them KK242 and put them on the compost. And that´s a good reminder that there are some amazing plants within the whole Cuzcoensis group.

K.Trout from Troutsnotes.com

Trichocereus Longispina KK1670

This Clone was distributed by Karel Knize and the Plant on the Pictures was provided by our Friend Trout from troutsnotes.com! The Cutting was obtained in 2000. Another Seed grown KK1670 was distributed by Shaman Australis but doesn´t seem to be available at this Time.

Knize gives as Place of Origin:

Trichocereus Longispinus KK1670 – Seeds originally collected from Cusco, Pisac, Peru at 2800m altitude.

This Picture is the One SAB has on their Site:

Just like the Place of Origin already suggests, this is most likely some kind of Trichocereus Cuzcoensis Variety. New Spine growth is yellow and very spiny. Unfortunately, we don´t have any more Pics of this Type as a larger plant. We will add some more in the Future.
Where to get seeds or cuttings of KK1670 Trichocereus Longispinus?

Well, since this plant originally came from Knize, there aren´t that many sources for his plants or seeds but him. In addition to that, you might be lucky to get some cuttings from the SAB shop, who sold some of them every now and then. So far, I´ve only seen them available on the market once and only as a seedling. As this type is probably just one of the countless Cuzcoensis varieties out there, it will probably be labeled Trichocereus Peruvianus or Cuzcoensis on the open market and I don´t feel like it´s possible to distinguish it from other, similar Cuzcoensis specimens. The pics here show how variable the plant can be and it will be very hard to keep it apart from others.

If you bought this type of Trichocereus from Knize or someone else, please let me know because I´d love to see if this really deserves the name “longispinus”. From what I´ve seen in those pics, it´s not very different from some other Cuzcoensis Varieties that I know. I am currently thinking that it is nothing but a marketing name.

KK340 Trichocereus cuzcoensis (Echinopsis)

KK340 Trichocereus cuzcoensis is a wild strain collected by Karel Knize. Knize´s numbers stand for regions instead of mother plants, which is why there are various different plants with this field number and not all are the same species. Most ended up to be Trichocereus cuzcoensis, but the photos show that at least some of them are Trichocereus peruvianus or close to it.  The first strain was on the 1998 seed list and Karel gave “Area Cuzco” as place of origin. It also turned up on his 1999 seed list as var. cuzcoensis. In the year 2000, Knize sold it through his cuttings list. He also sold it as seed and cuttings through his 2004 Seed list with the remarks “Cuzco, Huachac, 3200 meters”.

I lack more pics of this plant to say anything for certain. The pics of the relatively small cuttings that Knize sent look like a mix between Trichocereus Cuzcoensis and Trichocereus Peruvianus. There is no real source for seeds or plants, apart from maybe Karel Knize. But everytime I tried buying from him, he let me down and either sent me nothing or dead seed. I always wanted to do business with him but ended up being extremely disappointed and frustrated. Well, but enough of that.

This pic shows KK340 Trichocereus cuzcoensis and is from the Shaman Australis shop. It shows a rather typical Cuzcoensis with a bright green epidermis. The plant is currently out of stock but if you are interested to buy one, maybe send them a message and ask if they will get them again.

We are working on a Karel Knize Field Guide or database, but I do not know when it´ll be finished. If you have photos of KK plants, please send them over and we´ll include them.

Those pics are from K.Trout – Troutsnotes.com