| Echinopsis | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Echinopsis oxygona | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Tribe: | Cereeae |
| Subtribe: | Trichocereinae |
| Genus: | Echinopsis Zucc. |
| Type species | |
| Echinopsis eyriesii, nowEchinopsis oxygona | |
| Species | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Echinopsis is agenus ofcactinative to South America, sometimes known ashedgehog cactus,sea-urchin cactus orEaster lily cactus. As of November 2025[update],Plants of the World Online used a broadcircumscription of the genus, resulting in about 80 accepted species, ranging from large and treelike types to small globose cacti. The name derives fromechinos hedgehog orsea urchin, andopsis appearance, a reference to these plants' dense coverings of spines.
They are remarkable for the great size, length of tube, and beauty of their flowers, borne upon generally small and dumpy stems.
Studies in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in several formerly separate genera being absorbed intoEchinopsis. When very broadlycircumscribed,Echinopsissensu lato included over 100 species.[2] Some genera have been absorbed and then accepted again. For example, the genus nameTrichocereus was given to a number of columnar cacti in 1909 byVincenzo Riccobono. The genus was subsumed intoEchinopsis in 1974 by Friedrich, along withLobivia. In 2011, it was argued thatTrichocereus was distinct fromEchinopsis,[3] and a 2012 genetic and morphological study by Albesiano foundTrichocereus to be monophyletic if it included three species ofHarrisia.[4]
A 2012 genetic analysis of chloroplast DNA indicatedEchinopsis was made up of several divergent lineages.[5] This was shown again in 2019.[2] It was concluded that previous taxonomic confusion was due toconvergent evolution: species in different lineages had evolved to have similar growth and/or to sharepollinators.[5]
As of October 2025[update],Plants of the World Online subsumedSoehrensia,Chamaecereus,Trichocereus, andLobivia intoEchinopsis, resulting in a genus of around 80 species.[1]
Species ofEchinopsis accepted byPlants of the World Online as of November 2025[update]:[1]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
 | Echinopsis albispinosaK.Schum. (includingE. silvestrii) | Argentina |
 | Echinopsis ancistrophoraSpeg. | |
 | Echinopsis angelesiae(R.Kiesling) G.D.Rowley | |
_2.jpg) | Echinopsis arachnacantha(Buining & F.Ritter) Friedrich | |
| Echinopsis arboricola(Kimnach) Mottram | ||
 | Echinopsis aureaBritton & Rose | Argentina |
| Echinopsis ayopayanaF.Ritter & Rausch | ||
 | Echinopsis backebergiiWerderm. | |
| Echinopsis breviflora(Backeb.) M.Lowry | Argentina (Salta) | |
 | Echinopsis bridgesiiSalm-Dyck | |
.jpg) | Echinopsis bruchii(Britton & Rose) H.Friedrich & Glaetzle | |
 | Echinopsis caineana(Cárdenas) D.R.Hunt | |
.jpg) | Echinopsis calochloraK.Schum. (includingE. hammerschmidii) | Bolivia to Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul) |
 | Echinopsis calorubraCárdenas | |
 | Echinopsis camarguensis(Cárdenas) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | |
 | Echinopsis candicans(Gillies ex Salm-Dyck) D.R.Hunt | |
 | Echinopsis cardenasiana(Rausch) Friedrich | |
| Echinopsis caulescens(F.Ritter) M.Lowry | ||
| Echinopsis chalaensis(Rauh & Backeb.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley (sometimes inTrichocereus) | Peru | |
 | Echinopsis chamaecereusH.Friedrich & Glaetzle | |
 | Echinopsis chrysanthaWerderm. | Argentina |
 | Echinopsis chrysocheteWerderm. | |
 | Echinopsis cinnabarina(Hook.) Labour. | |
 | Echinopsis clavata(F.Ritter) D.R.Hunt (sometimes inTrichocereus) | Bolivia |
.jpg) | Echinopsis crassicaulis(R.Kiesling) H.Friedrich & Glaetzle | |
.jpg) | Echinopsis cuzcoensis(Britton & Rose) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley (sometimes inTrichocereus) | Peru |
 | Echinopsis densispinaWerderm. | Argentina |
.jpg) | Echinopsis ferox(Britton & Rose) Backeb. | |
 | Echinopsis formosa(Pfeiff.) Jacobi ex Salm-Dyck | |
| Echinopsis friedrichiiG.D.Rowley | ||
 | Echinopsis haematantha(Speg.) D.R.Hunt | Argentina and Bolivia |
| Echinopsis hahniana(Backeb.) R.S.Wallace | ||
 | Echinopsis hertrichiana(Backeb.) D.R.Hunt | |
 | Echinopsis huascha(F.A.C.Weber) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | |
| Echinopsis jajoana(Backeb.) Blossf. (includingE. sanguiniflora) | Argentina | |
 | Echinopsis lageniformis(C.F.Först.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley (sometimes inTrichocereus) | Bolivia. |
| Echinopsis lateritiaGürke | ||
| Echinopsis luisramirezii(Lodé & F.Carlier) M.H.J.van der Meer | ||
 | Echinopsis macrogona(Salm-Dyck) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | |
 | Echinopsis mamillosaGürke | |
 | Echinopsis marsoneriWerderm. | Bolivia to Argentina (Jujuy, Salta) |
 | Echinopsis maximilianaHeyder ex A.Dietr. | |
| Echinopsis minutiflora(Rausch) M.Lowry | ||
 | Echinopsis obrepanda(Salm-Dyck) K.Schum. | |
| Echinopsis oligotricha(Cárdenas) M.Lowry | Bolivia | |
 | Echinopsis oxygona(Link) Zucc. ex Pfeiff. & Otto (includingE. adolfofriedrichii, E. brasiliensis, E. eyriesii, E. tubiflora) | Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina |
| Echinopsis pachanoi(Britton & Rose) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
| Echinopsis pampana(Britton & Rose) D.R.Hunt | ||
| Echinopsis pamparuiziiCárdenas | ||
.jpg) | Echinopsis pentlandii(Hook.) Salm-Dyck ex A.Dietr. | |
| Echinopsis pereziensisCárdenas | ||
| Echinopsis pugionacanthaRose & Boed. | ||
| Echinopsis quadratiumbonata(F.Ritter) D.R.Hunt | ||
| Echinopsis rauschiiFriedrich | Bolivia (Cochabamba) | |
 | Echinopsis rojasiiCárdenas | Bolivia |
 | Echinopsis saltensisSpeg. | |
| Echinopsis sandiensisHoxey | ||
| Echinopsis schickendantziiF.A.C.Weber | ||
 | Echinopsis schieliana(Backeb.) D.R.Hunt | |
| Echinopsis schreiteri(A.Cast.) Werderm. | ||
| Echinopsis serpentinaM.Lowry & M.Mend. | ||
| Echinopsis smrzianaBackeb. | ||
| Echinopsis spachiana(Lem.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
| Echinopsis spinibarbis(Otto ex Pfeiff.) A.E.Hoffm. | ||
| Echinopsis stilowiana(Backeb.) J.G.Lamb. | ||
| Echinopsis strigosa(Salm-Dyck) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
| Echinopsis sucrensisCárdenas | ||
 | Echinopsis tacaquirensis(Vaupel) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | Bolivia |
| Echinopsis tarijensis(Vaupel) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
 | Echinopsis tegeleriana(Backeb.) D.R.Hunt | |
| Echinopsis thelegona(F.A.C.Weber) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
| Echinopsis thelegonoides(Speg.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
 | Echinopsis tiegeliana(Wessner) D.R.Hunt | |
| Echinopsis torrefluminensisM.Lowry | Bolivia | |
.jpg) | Echinopsis uyupampensis(Backeb.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | |
| Echinopsis vasquezii(Rausch) G.D.Rowley | ||
| Echinopsis volliana(Backeb.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley | ||
| Echinopsis walteri(R.Kiesling) H.Friedrich & Glaetzle | ||
 | Echinopsis werdermanniiFrič ex Fleisch. (sometimes inE. oxygona) | Paraguay |
 | Echinopsis yuquinaD.R.Hunt |
In addition, many hybrids exist, mostly between similar species, such as the cross betweenEchinopsis pachanoi (formerlyTrichocereus macrogonus var.pachanoi) andE. eyriesii (nowE. oxygona) which was sold under the name "Trichopsis pachaniesii" by Sacred Succulents.
Echinopsis species are native to South America (Argentina,Bolivia,Peru,Brazil,Paraguay andUruguay).[1] They thrive in desert grasslands, shrubland, and in situations where the soil is sandy or gravelly, such as the sides of hills in the crevices of rocks.[6]
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The growing and resting seasons forEchinopsis are the same as forEchinocactus.[citation needed] Research by J. Smith (former Curator at theRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew) showed that species like theChileanEchinopsis cristata and itsMexican relatives thrive if potted in light loam, with a little leaf mould and a few nodules oflimestone. The limestone keeps the soil open; it is important that the soil should be well drained.
