Parodia microsperma

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Since 4 Aug 2013

Parodia microsperma (F.A.C.Weber) Speg.
Anales Soc. Ci. Argent. 96: 70. 1923
Family: CACTACEAE

Parodia microsperma Photo by: Diego Armentano

Origin and Habitat: Argentina (Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Catamarca, La Rioja, northeastern San Juan and northwestern Santiago del Estero provinces) and probably in Bolivia (Tarija, San Pedro)
Altitude: 500 and 2,000 metres above sea level.
Habitat and Ecology: Parodia microspermaSN|11718]]SN|11718]] has a wide range, is locally abundant and grows on rocky soils in Monte and Chaco habitat. It is affected by agricultural activities.

Synonyms:

Parodia microsperma (F.A.C.Weber) Speg.

Echinocactus microspermus F.A.C.Weber in Bois
Hickenia microsperma (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose

See all synonyms of Parodia microsperma

Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Golden Tom Thumb, Tom Thumb
RUSSIAN (Русский): Пародия мелкосеменная

Description: Parodia microspermaSN|5784]]SN|11718]] is a compact small to medium-sized, perennial cactus densely covered in dense white, yellow or brown spines and red, central spines, some of which are hooked. The new name refers to the small seeds. It bears blood-red, occasionally yellow flowers in spring. It is an extremely variable species with several local or morphological forms (previously considered independent species). Two subspecies are recognized, the nominate form and subsp. horrida.
Habit: It is usually solitary, but can form small clusters.
Stem: Spherical when young, but with age it often develops a short cylindrical shape, light green or bluish-green up to (5-)6-7(-10) cm in diameter and 5-20 cm tall (or more).
Ribs: 13-21 more or less divided into spiralled, conical tubercles 4-5 mm in diameter 3 mm long.
Areoles: 1,5 mm in diameter with white-yellowish tomentum that fade away as they age.
Radial spines: (7-)11-13(-30) thin, bristly, white, up to 4-8 mm long.
Central spines: 3-4, short, of which the upper three are honey-yellow to reddish-brown or darker with a reddish tip, while the lowermost more long hooked at apex and strong 5-20 mm long, rarely to 50 mm.
Flowers: Bright yellow, orange or red, infundibuliform on the plant apex 2,5-3,5 mm long, 40-50 mm in diameter. External tepals spatulate or lanceolate. Pericarpel and tube with wool and bristles throughout. The filaments bear cream-yellowish anthers. Stile white-yellowish bearing a 12 lobed stigma.
Blooming season: Produces several flowers simultaneously in early summer (while in Parodia maassiiSN|11718]]SN|5784]] they usually appear one by one), the flowers remain open for about three days.
Fruit: Nearly spherical to ovoidal about 4-5 mm in diameter, with basal dehiscence.
Seeds: Very small, to only 0,4-0,5 mm long including the large white caruncle, seed-coat smooth, brown and shining.

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Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Parodia microsperma group

Parodia microsperma (F.A.C.Weber) Speg.: is very variable and has received a large number of names. It has green globose stems with long, hooked central spines, the radials are thin and flexible, and the flowers yellow to orange to red. Distribution: southern Bolivia and northern Argentina.
Parodia microsperma subs. aureispina (Backeb.) Brickwood: has dense white and yellow spines and bright yellow flower. Distribution: Southern Bolivia, northern Argentina.
Parodia microsperma var. dichroacantha (F.H.Brandt & Weskamp) Brickwood: has strong hooked central spines, rigid radials spines and bright orange-red flowers. Distribution: Salta, Northwest Cafayate (and Tucumán?)
Parodia microsperma var. dichroacantha f. cristata hort.: Crested form.
Parodia microsperma var. herzogii (Rausch) Brickwood: has deep orange to blood red flower to 4 cm across.
Parodia microsperma subs. horrida (F.H.Brandt) R.Kiesling & O.Ferrari: has reddish-grey cylindrical stems with either hooked or straight central spines, the radials are rigid, and the flowers yellow. Distribution: Salta, Argentina.
Parodia microsperma var. malyana (Rausch) Brickwood: has short reddish central spines and flowers ranging from yellow to orange and red. Distribution: Catamarca, Argentina.
Parodia microsperma var. mutabilis (Backeb.) Brickwood: has strong, yellow spination and yellow flower. Distribution: Salta, Northern Argentina.
Parodia microsperma var. rubristaminea (F.Ritter) Brickwood: has filaments of the stamens bright carmine to brownish-cinnabar.
Parodia microsperma subs. sanguiniflora (Backeb.) Brickwood: has blood red flowers. Filaments of the stamens carmine. Stylus reddish to pale yellowish; Stigma light-yellow to nearly white. Distribution: Southern Bolivia, northern Argentina.
Parodia microsperma subs. sanguiniflora f. brevispina (monstruosa) hort.: monstrous plant with short spines and short red flowers. It is a highly branching cactus that forms clumps.
Parodia microsperma var. setifera (Backeb.) Brickwood: Characteristic of this cactus are its thin bristly radial spines and its yellow flowers. Distribution: Salta, Argentina.
Parodia microsperma var. weberiana (F.H.Brandt) J.G.Lamb.: has large orange red to golden yellow flowers. Distribution: Salta (El Naranjo, El Tala), Argentina.
Parodia talaensis F.H.Brandt: has bright orange flowers and dense white and yellow spines. Distribution: Salta / Tucuman

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Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Gerhard Gröner, Erich Götz “Beautiful Cacti: A Basic Grower's Guide” Sterling, 1992
2) Backeberg C., "Das Kakteenlexikon" 1966
1) Krainz, Hans et al. “Die Kakteen” 1956-1975
2) Hans Hecht “BLV-Handbuch der Kakteen” BLV-Verlagsgesellschaft, 1982
3) 4) E Haustein “Der Kosmos Kakteenfuehrer (the Kosmos Cactus Guide)” Balogh Scientific Books, United States, 01/Dec/1998
5) Kessler H., "Die FR-Parodien" Stachelpost, 7 : 223-224, 247, 1970
6) Ritter F., "Kakteen in Südamerika", 1980
7) Weskamp W., "Die Gattung Parodia" 1987
8) Kiesling, R. & Ortega-Baes, P. 2013. Parodia microsperma. In: IUCN 2013. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 04 March 2014.
9) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
10) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey "The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass" Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
11) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
12) Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton “Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names” Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg 2010
13) Willy Cullmann, Erich Götz (Dozent Dr.), Gerhard Gröner “The encyclopedia of cacti” Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1986

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Cultivation and Propagation: Parodia microspermaSN|11718]]SN|11718]] is relatively easy to grow on its own roots and quite resistant to cultivation. The only things that can kill this plant are cold and overwatering. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to provide adequate growing conditions in order to obtain compact plant with many flowers.
Soil: Use a an open and free draining mineral compost with little organic matter (peat, humus) that allows therefore roots to breath (as it is rot prone). Outdoors a well-draining rocky or sandy soil is ideal.
Pots: It needs a relatively shallow pot to accommodate its fibrous roots and provide a very good drainage. It may stay in the same pot for many years.
Watering: Needs regular water in summer. Keep rather dry in winter, tends to lose its roots in winter.
Fertilization: Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer during the growing season diluted to one-fourth potency and mix into the watering can for application.
Hardiness: Keep dry at 5- 10° C in winter, but can tolerate sporadic light frost if kept on the dry side prior to, and during, cold weather.
Exposition: The plant tolerates very bright situations, if kept too dark they may become overly lush and greener and could be prone to rotting due to over watering. Strong light encourages flowering and heavy wool and spine production, but is likely to suffer from sun scorch or stunted growth if over exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day in summer.
Pests & diseases: It may be attractive to a variety of insects, but plants in good condition should be nearly pest-free, particularly if they are grown in a mineral potting-mix, with good exposure and ventilation. Nonetheless, watch carefully for any significant decline in health. This may signal a pest problem that should be dealt with quickly in order to prevent scarring, stunting and even death.
- Red spiders: Red spiders may be effectively rubbed up by watering or misting the plants from above.
- Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new growth among the leaves with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects. Eliminate mealybug infestations by dabbing the critters with cotton swabs dipped in alcohol or by soaking the succulent's roots in a systemic insecticide.
- Scales: Scales are rarely a problem.
- Rot: This species is particularly easy and accommodating, seldom suffer of cryptogamic diseases. Rot it is only a minor problem with cacti if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly. If they are not, fungicides won't help all that much.
Propagation: By Seeds. The seed of this plant are extremely small and must be sown on the surface of the germination substrate (not buried!!) But the seedlings after germination are so minuscule and delicate that it is quite problematic to keep them alive. So for this species it is usually used the baggy germination technique (in a sterilized pot hermetically closed in a plastic sachet)

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Cite this page: "Parodia microsperma" Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 05 Jul 2025. </Encyclopedia/CACTI/Family/Cactaceae/11718/Parodia_microsperma>