| Half a Genus—Parodia
A couple of years ago I wrote a column about the South American cactus genus Notocactus. As some of you might remember, I noted that the genus no longer officially existed, as it, along with Wigginsia, was now considered a part of the expanded genus Parodia. So now let's discuss the older parodias, the ones considered members of that genus since its establishment. All members of the group come from the southern part of South America , but Notocactus grow mostly in Brazil and Uruguay , while Parodia are found in northern Argentina and Bolivia . Given the differing habitats, the cultural needs pf the plants differ to a certain degree as well, although neither group is particularly difficult to grow.
A typically seen in cultivation, parodias are mostly small to medium sized globular plants, often with hooked, downward pointing central spines, and with medium-sized, pretty flowers ranging from yellow to orange to deep red. They are among the plants that old-time cactus enthusiasts used to call "ballophytes," a pseudoscientific term coined to describe cacti that looked like balls. If grown successfully for a number of years, or allowed enough root room to develop to maturity, of course, many "ballophytes" turn into something fairly different, clumping or growing into small columns. Parodia is no exception, and although some species do remain quite small others may become as much as two feet tall or form clumps several feet across.
Besides being native to different countries than their relatives, the traditional Parodia species grow under quite different conditions. The plants previously called Notocatus or Wigginsia tend to live at low altitudes, often on rocky outcrops in semi-tropical settings (though they generally are quite frost resistant), with considerable rainfall mitigated by rapid run-off. Other species of these groups may live in grassy areas; in contrast, most parodias in the older sense of the genus come from quite arid regions, usually at considerable elevation. They certainly rarely have problems with cold in our region, but they generally won't tolerate too much moisture in winter, which makes most of them unsuitable for outdoor cactus gardens here. These parodias should be kept drier in winter than many cacti, and for some of them water should be withheld until they definitely show signs of new growth. Although these plants aren't difficult in comparison to some extremely arid growing cacti, they will rot in winter if kept too wet or if there is too much humidity. They also benefit from cool winter night temperatures.
At the moment the taxonomy of the genus is in an uproar, and though many species have been lumped together by some botanists, these changes haven't yet been universally accepted. At any rate, among the interesting and popular species we find Parodiamicrosperma (with dozens of supposed synonyms), a smallish plant that slowly clumps, and that usually has a green epidermis, golden, hooked central spines, and yellow flowers. Parodiamaasii, a somewhat larger plant, in many ways looks similar, but has orange flowers. In the wild it ultimately makes a large, loosely arranged cluster, but in a pot it will stay solitary for many years. Parodianivosa, a small-growing species, has a dense covering of white spines (none hooked), and bright red flowers. Parodiaschwebsiana becomes taller, has hooked spines and pretty, blood-red flowers, while the yellow-flowered Parodiasaint-pieana is covered with very short spines with little distinction between centrals and radials (in most cacti the distinction between central and radial spines is very obvious, and often has significance in determining species). Parodiapenicillata, a species fairly uncommon in cultivation, form tight masses of globular bodies, broader at the apex than the base, and often growing almost pendently (downward), as it hangs from cliff edges and even grow epiphytically at times, in the crotches of scrub trees in its semi-arid Argentinean homeland. There are some fairly new discoveries in the genus, including small plants such as Parodiasubterranea, low growing and often pulled down into the soil and hard to see.
To grow parodias successfully give them lots of light, a soil perhaps a bit quicker draining than average, and keep them quite dry and if possible, cool, in the winter. Another group that I mentioned earlier, now considered Parodia, was formerly known as Wigginsia (and before that, Malacocarpus). These plants tend to resemble each other, and are small to medium sized cacti with deep green bodies, bright yellow flowers, generally fairly small spine clusters, and most distinctive, deep, symmetrically ribbed bodies. They grow in Brazil and Uruguay , along with the notocacti, and respond to similar care. This consists of slightly less than average light (for cacti), perhaps a slightly richer than average soil, and water once a week in the warmer months, perhaps every six weeks or so in winter. Though fairly slow growing, they are easy plants to cultivate and will do better indoors than the older Parodia species. All of these plants will thrive for many years in four to six inch pots, and will provide nice displays of flowers even if they won't reach their maximum growth forms.
The Garden has a good collection of Parodia, as well as Notocactus and a couple of Wigginsia, which can be seen in the Arid House. We have a few kinds to sell from time to time.
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