Knowledge and Basic Care of Hualong
The editor answers questions about succulent plants for netizens, including the knowledge and basic care of Hualong. Here is a comprehensive introduction.
Hualong (Aztekium ritteri) has always been a classic representative of cacti, and it was known as one of the "four major famous species" of cacti in China more than a decade ago. In recent years, with the increasing market demand at home and abroad, and no hope of propagating mature seedlings in China within the past 10 years, the price of Hualong has soared, adding more charm to this species. It can be said that Hualong has become one of the most expensive original species in cacti of the same size (only Grafted Echeveria and Trichocereus are likely to win by small size and high price).
Introduction to Species and Genus:
Hualong was first described by Boedeker in 1928 and named Echinocactus ritteri in memory of Friedrich Ritter. A few years later, it was published as a new genus named Aztekium, known as Zhenlengqiu in Chinese. In 1991, Aztekium hintonii was discovered, adding another new member to the genus. The genus most closely related to Aztekium is Geohintonia, with only one species: Geohintonia mexicana, which is generally believed to be a hybrid of Aztekium hintonii and other species.
Habitat:
Hualong is found only in the state of Nuevo Leon in the northeastern part of Mexico, and has only been discovered in a single valley (Rayones) in that area. In this small region, Hualong prefers to grow on steep cliffs, which are mainly composed of fragile limestone, usually on the shaded side of the rocks in the sunny slopes. Hualong likes to grow in groups and is often found clustering together in undisturbed areas.
Appearance:
The shape of Hualong is very unique and is not easily confused with other ball-like plants. It is small, with a single head diameter usually between 3 to 5 cm, up to about 7 cm, and flat spherical. Unlike some other cacti, Hualong does not have well-developed, water-storing flesh roots, which is consistent with its growth environment, where water is not scarce in the native habitat. The body of Hualong usually has about 6 to 12 ridges, with many small secondary ridges extending between them, making the entire ridge look wrinkled, which is the origin of its Chinese name: Wrinkled Ridge Ball.
The shape of Hualong is like a stone carving of the ancient Aztecs, hence its generic name Aztekium. This wrinkled structure allows the ball to expand and contract, better adapting to the drastic changes in water in its native habitat. Young Hualong plants are pale green with a hint of white, while older plants tend to be gray-green. However, under artificial cultivation, the young parts of Hualong (new side buds) occasionally show a purplish-red color, especially in grafted plants.
The ridges and top of the Hualong ball are covered with early-falling, curly, yellowish-brown spines (1-3) and tiny hairs that grow along the centerline of the ridges, with no hairs on the secondary ridges. Hualong flowers are small, usually 1 cm in diameter, white with a hint of pink, with deeper outer petals and usually deep streaks on the outer edges. The flowers of grafted Hualong are more reddish. The flowers emerge from the hairs at the top of the ball and open with six sepals simultaneously. The flower tube is long and shaped like a high-footed cup, with a slight fragrance that enthusiasts can smell.
Hualong usually shows clustering when it grows to a certain size, generally after the main head reaches 4 cm. The fruit of Hualong usually matures the following year after flowering, and the seeds are very small, although not the smallest among cacti, and are believed to be wind-dispersed.
Hualong rarely shows variations, but occasionally variations like Hualong brocade, Hualong segmentation, and Hualong with divided ridges can be seen. In the wild, Hualong can be distinguished into two types: one with fewer ridges, less hair on the top of the ball, smaller and flatter, and easy to cluster; the other with more ridges, usually reaching 10 or more on the main head, rich in top hair, not very fond of producing offsets, and single heads can grow to over 5 cm, known as Dàyù Hualong in Japan.
Propagation:
Hualong is one of the slowest-growing species in the cactus family, with overseas data showing only 1mm of growth per year. It usually takes several years to see signs of growth. Hualong is generally propagated only by seeds, which is a very difficult task because although Hualong seeds are easy to obtain and have a high germination rate, the management of seedlings is extremely challenging. One忽视 can lead to sunburn, and a few days of neglect can result in being eaten by moss. Growing Hualong from seed requires a lot of patience and a very long time.
Hualong can be grafted for propagation, usually using side buds, with seedlings almost impossible to graft. Grafted Hualong usually clusters early, especially when grafted on a triangular column, and a grafted ball of 10 cm does not require many years. Triangular grafted plants are suitable for seed collection but have poor ornamental value due to their love for producing offsets. The cold and heat resistance, lifespan, and aesthetics of triangles are also not ideal. It is recommended for friends in the south and north to use Longshen Column for grafting, which is simple to operate and has a high survival rate.
In the Yangtze River Valley, due to the poor cold resistance of Longshen Column in winter, it is recommended to use Xiupu Column for grafting. However, the difficulty of grafting with Xiupu is higher because the vascular bundles of Hualong are very fine, the ball is hard, and the moisture is lacking, usually only choosing small scions to graft on the tender tip of the Xiupu Column to increase the survival rate. Grafted Hualong cannot root when placed on the ground, and the side buds of the graft cannot be rooted by cutting, especially for plants grafted on triangles, which usually shrink or rot before rooting. In addition to seedlings, Japan uses wild side buds of 3-4 cm for cutting propagation. However, once roots are established, the cultivation of Hualong is not a very difficult task.
Conclusion:
Hualong is a cactus protected under CITES level I. In its native habitat, although there is currently no risk of extinction, it is very rare to see large clusters of mature Hualong in the wild in Mexico, most being single young plants or small clusters of 2 or 3 heads. Conversely, large clusters of Hualong are not uncommon in Japan, and finding a large cluster of Hualong over 10 cm is not difficult as long as one can afford the price. Japan also has a large number of Hualong seedlings, and for domestic cactus enthusiasts, the only way to purchase Hualong seedlings is through Japanese imports. Currently, few people in China attempt to grow Hualong from seed, with friends who have tried reporting that it takes about 5 years to grow to about 0.8 cm, just beginning to show the characteristics of Hualong. This is indeed very slow, and it is generally believed that a Hualong of 3 cm requires at least 10-15 years of growth. Therefore, friends without patience are better off not trying to grow Hualong from seed. Finally, I hope that every cactus enthusiast in China can own at least one Hualong seedling.
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