5 Obregonia denegrii Seeds - Artichoke Cactus - Strombocatus denegrii - Ethnobotanical

Obregonia denegrii Seeds

Common Name: Artichoke Cactus

Obregonia denegrii, nicknamed Artichoke Cactus is the only species in the Obregonia genus. It is also classified as Strombocatus denegrii. This prized cactus is closely related to the Ariocarpus genus and bares similar characteristics. Like Ariocarpus, it is sometimes referred to as a living rock. These seeds will produce plants with incurved tubercles and white flowers. Obregonia denegrii is native to Tamaulipas, Mexico where it is now endangered due to a variety of factors including habitat loss, collection for medical, scientific and collective purposes and uprooting by livestock. It is said to have antibiotic activity and was one of several cacti species to be considered a false peyote by the Tarahumara people of Mexico. This solitary, low-laying cactus, which typically stays under 15cm, is often shadowed by shrubbery. For that reason, it prefers light shade. For brief periods, it can survive temps as low as -6.7°C. Being a slow-growing ornamental, it is a great candidate for grafting onto faster-growing root stock such as San Pedro, Blue Myrtle or Pereskiopsis.