Habitat: South America: Bolivia, Peru, Argentina.
Description: a genus of small clumping globular plants, naturally growing in mountainous regions. In the summer, large, funnel-shaped flowers are borne at the tip of a hairy pedicel which never arises near the top of the stem; they are diurnal, long-lasting and may be from crimson, red or orange to yellow and white. Some species may be classified as Echinocactus, Mammillaria or Pseudolobivia. It has now been absorbed into the genus Echinopsis.
Soil: basic mix.
Location: provide filtered light.
Temperature: the winter minimum temperature should be around 4°C (39°F); low temperatures encourage more abundant flowering. The maximum should not exceed 30° (86°F).
Water: average.
Cultivation tips: easy; repot once a year. Watch out for mealy bugs, mites and high humidity. Spraying some water helps to prevent spider mite attacks. Apply fertilizer three times during the growing season, with the addition of some microelements.
Main species of Lobivia: a large number of hybrids have been created by crossing this genus with Echinopsis.
Lobivia famatimensis; Lobivia acanthoplegma; Lobivia arachnacantha; Lobivia atrovirens; Lobivia aurea; Lobivia caineana; Lobivia jajoiana; Lobivia cinnabarina; Lobivia ferox.