Trichocereus Chalaensis

Trichocereus Chalaensis

Current name: Echinopsis Chalaensis (Rauh & Backeberg)

The Typus Location & Origin: Peru, Arequipa. Chala in the south of Peru. This type was  collected by various field botanists, including Friedrich Ritter & Rauh. Rauh´s collection number is “Rauh K128″ and Friedrich Ritters FR number is FR1052. The type is common in the southern parts of Peru and usually grows creeping down slopes, similar to Trichocereus Glaucus var. pendens. Because of that, it´s possible they are synonymous.

Synonyms: Trichocereus Chalaensis, Echinopsis Chalaensis, SS04, Trichocereus Glaucus, Trichocereus Glaucus var. pendens, Trichocereus lucernatus,

Sacred Succulents sold this species under a couple of different names. Trichocereus Glaucus, of which there are pics of on Michael Smith´s amazing Flickr Page! Besides, they sold/sell this type as RS04 and Trichocereus Chalaensis.

Well, the description is very similar to the one of Trichocereus Glaucus FR and it´s definitely possible that this is the same plant.

Description: Trichocereus Chalaensis grows like a shrub and oftenly creeps down rocky slopes or little hills. It can get between 3-5 meters tall and reaches a maximum diameter of up to 18 centimeters. It has 7-9 ribs and has very strong furrows. The spines are dark brown to red and extremely beautiful. The color is similar to the spines on the Fulvianus form of Trichocereus Deserticola.

Trichocereus Chalaensis has 1-3 middle spines(3-6 centimeters) and 5-11 radial spines (1-2 centimeters), depending on the variety. The spines reach a maximum length of 5-7 centimeters. The plant has very strong furrows, directly above the areoles.

Flowers: The flowers are white and look similar to the ones on Trichocereus Glaucus. Trichocereus Chalaensis is a night flowering species and it is self-sterile. That means that you need another plant to act as a pollen donor in order to produce seeds. Some flowers I saw were up to 20 centimeters large and up to 12 centimeters wide. But flower size differentiated greatly and the norm was around 14 centimeters. Very beautiful and well scented flowers though. Tube is about 2,5 centimeters thick, with dark brown and black hairs, sepals reddish to green in color and the petals are white.

Trichocereus Chalaensis usually has a bright green color. The species is very close to Trichocereus Glaucus and Friedrich Ritter considered it as a distant relative of Trichocereus Chilensis. He thought that the complex around Glaucus/Chalaensis originated from Chile and made their way by invasively growing through large parts of south Peru. Trichocereus Chalaensis is the most northern growing Trichocereus species, reaching from the southern part of the Chilenian cactus west to the north all around the coast and in some parts west of the desert-belt, while all other Trichocereus were growing in the east, in much higher regions. Trichocereus Chalaensis grows at around 200 meters altitude, which is really low for a Trichocereus.

 Cultivation: There is not really that much information about how to grow this plant and about its frost resistance. I know of growers that grow Trichocereus Chalaensis in California indicates that it is probably similar as other Trichocereus, what would mean that it might stand short night frosts and requires a minimum average temperature of 10° celsius. I planted some of them too this year, but they are still too small to say more or make pictures of them. I will post more pics of Trichocereus Chalaensis in the next couple days.

Seed sources: This plant is really rare in cultivation, but there are a couple of shops and sellers that sell seed every now and then. Sacred Succulents is selling them as SS04 and as Trichocereus Chalaensis but that´s about the only source I know. Constantly looking for new seed sources of this one, just in case you happen to grow them. 😉

Trichocereus Chalaensis