Habitat: foggy coastal deserts of Peru and Chile where it hardly ever rains and rocky areas up to 1000 metres (3300 ft).
Description: a group of cacti with a green, solitary, spherical or cylindrical stem. The ribs are slightly protruding, the areoles closely-spaced and covered with dense spines. Flowers are variable in colour and appear at the top of the stem which usually has a felty appearance. It is now included in the genera Eriosyce and Neoporteria.
Soil: mineral mix.
Location: they prefer filtered sunlight.
Temperature: minimum temperature of 4°C (39°F). they enjoy hot conditions in the summer.
Water: average; take care to leave the soil dry if temperatures should become low.
Cultivation tips: they’re slow-growing and they’re best grafted. Provide good air circulation. In the wild they grow covered almost entirely with sand together with Haageocereus repens. They’re easy to raise from seed that can be stored for quite some time. They’re best grown in clay pots.
Main species of Islaya: Islaya minor; Islaya islayensis; Islaya grandis.