Parodia crassigibba after it arrived in the mail on 11-30-20, #766-6.
Parodia crassigibba
par-ROH-dee-uh krass-ih-GIB-uh
Syn.
Parodia werneri
par-ROH-dee-uh WER-ner-ee
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY’S AWARD OF GARDEN MERIT
Synonyms of Parodia crassigibba (22) (Updated 12-9-23 from Plants of the World Online): Notocactus arachnitis F.Ritter (1970), Notocactus arachnitis f. darilhoensis N.Gerloff (1997), Notocactus arachnitis var. minor F.Ritter (1970), Notocactus arachnitis f. minor (F.Ritter) N.Gerloff & Neduchal (2004), Notocactus crassigibbus F.Ritter (1970), Notocactus darilhoensis Prestlé (1990)(no Latin descr.), Notocactus meonacanthus Prestlé (1986), Notocactus uebelmannianus Buining (1968), Notocactus uebelmannianus f. flaviflorus N.Gerloff & Königs (1992), Notocactus uebelmannianus f. gilviflorus Königs & N.Gerloff (1993), Notocactus uebelmannianus var. nilsonii Königs (1990), Notocactus uebelmannianus f. nilsonii (Königs) N.Gerloff & Neduchal (2004), Notocactus uebelmannianus subsp. pleiocephalus (N.Gerloff & Königs) Lodé (2013), Notocactus uebelmannianus var. pleiocephalus N.Gerloff & Königs (1992), Parodia meonacantha (Prestlé) Hofacker (1998), Parodia uebelmanniana F.Ritter (1980), Parodia werneri Hofacker (1998), Parodia werneri subsp. pleiocephala (N.Gerloff & Königs) Hofacker (1998), Ritterocactus crassigibbus (F.Ritter) Doweld (1999), Ritterocactus meonacanthus (Prestlé) Doweld (1999), Ritterocactus uebelmannianus (Buining) Doweld (1999), Ritterocactus uebelmannianus subsp. pleiocephalus (N.Gerloff & Königs) Doweld (1999)
Parodia crassigibba (F.Ritter) N.P.Taylor is the accepted scientific name for this species of Parodia. It was named and described as such by Nigel Paul Taylor in Bradleya (Yearbook of the British Cactus and Succulent Society) in 1987. It was named Notocactus crassigibbus by Friedrich Ritter in Succulenta in 1970.
Now a synonym, Parodia werneri Hofacker was named and described as such by Andreas Hofacker in Cactaceae Consensus Initiatives in 1998. It was “FIRST” named Notocactus uebelmannianus by Albert Frederik Hendrick Buining in Kakteen und Andere Sukkulenten in 1968 but when the species of Notocactus were transferred to the Parodia genus, there was already a Parodia uebelmannianus so the name was changed to Parodia werneri. But, apparently, they were already the same species anyway.
The genus, Parodia Speg., was named and described as such by Carlo Luigi Spegazzini in Anales de la Sociedad Cientifica Argentina in 1923.
As of 12-9-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 68 species in the Parodia genus. Parodia is a member of the plant family Cactaceae with 150 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.
THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AND GROWING RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING.
Parodia crassigibba at 7/8″ tall x 1 7/8″ wide on 11-30-20, #766-7.
I purchased this neat little Parodia crassigibba from Succulent Depot on Ebay along with a Mammillaria senilis and Schlumbergera russeliana. The listing was for Parodia werneri but that name is a synonym of Parodia crassigibba, at least for now. It is also sometimes still sold under the name of Notocactus uebelmannianus. When the plant arrived it was only 7/8″ tall x 1 7/8″ wide so we have a lot of growing to do. I have two other Parodia species in my cactus collection and they have always done very well. You can click on their names, Parodia lenninghausii and Parodia magnifica if you want to view their pages.
Parodia crassigibba started out its life growing in somewhat rocky soil in the Rio Grande Do Sul area in southern Brazil. Minding its own business and getting along happily until its life was turned upside-down. The area started being converted into agricultural land for crops and grazing and now it is an endangered species. For many years, teams of researchers scoured the area naming and renaming many species of cactus. It was a disaster!
Parodia crassigibba on 11-30-20, #766-8.
The history of this plant is VERY complicated and confusing. The Parodia genus as a whole is very confusing but I am not going to get into that here. Well, I did delete three paragraphs on the subject.
Parodia crassigibba on 11-30-20, #766-9.
This is one of the smaller growing species of globose-shaped cactus. Mature specimens only grow to about 6-8″ tall (depending on which website you look at). The species grows 10-16 ribs (mine has 13) and has broad, chin-like tubercles between the areoles (Hmmm… That’s what the experts say, but I thought areoles grow on top of the tubercles…). It has 6-14 radial spines that are somewhat appressed and, if there is a central spine present, it points downward. You can actually pick it up without getting stuck. It is normally a solitary growing cactus, meaning it doesn’t normally grow in clusters, BUT sometimes it does. Hmmm…
<<<<2021>>>>
Well, what can I say? This plant didn’t make it over the summer of 2021…
USEFUL INFORMATION:
Family: Cactaceae
Origin: Rio Grande Do Sul in southern Brazil
Zones: USDA Zones 9b-11 (25 to 40° F/-3.8 to 4.5° C)
Size: 6-8” tall
Light: Sun to part shade.
Soil: Fast draining. Good quality potting soil mixed 50/50 with pumice or additional perlite and chicken grit (2-1-1).
Water: Regular watering during the summer but barely if any, during the winter.
You can read my Cactus Talk & Update and Cactus & Succulent Tips to get my opinion about growing cacti and succulents.
When you bring your new plants home from the store, you need to check their roots and the soil to see if they are wet. If so, you may want to re-pot it right away. It is advisable to re-pot them in a better potting soil more suitable for cacti and succulents.
I am sure the Parodia crassigibba will do well. I will continue adding more photos and information as time goes by.
I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant. Llifle still has both species of Parodia listed as accepted, but photos and information are on the page for Parodia werneri. CactiGuide has photos and information for both species, but of course, P. werneri is a synonym of P. crassigibba. I am sure someday they will update but they are very busy and have a lot of plant names to keep up with. If you find that I have made an error, you can leave a comment or email me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com.
The Belmont Rooster 