About Soehrensia formosa subsp. formosa
Soehrensia formosa grows alone when young, and occasionally branches from its base later in life to form clumps. Its shoots range from spherical to cylindrical in shape, and are light green to blue-green in color. Mature shoots can grow up to 1.5 meters (4 feet 11 inches) tall, with a diameter between 25 and 50 centimeters (9.8 to 19.7 inches). It is the only South American cactus that has the barrel cactus growth habit. It has 27 to 50 rounded ribs, which are distinctly notched and tuberous. Dark areoles sit on these ribs, spaced up to 1 centimeter (0.39 inches) apart. Needle-like spines, colored yellowish to reddish-brown, grow from these areoles. There are 2 to 9 central spines, measuring 3 to 20 centimeters (1.2 to 7.9 inches) long. The 9 to 15 radial spines are spreading, straight or slightly curved, and grow up to 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) long. Broad, funnel-shaped flowers that range in color from red to orange-red to yellow grow near the top of the shoot, and open during the day. The flowers are 6 to 9 centimeters (2.4 to 3.5 inches) long, with the same measurement in diameter. The broad, spherical green fruits are up to 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) long and 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) in diameter. This subspecies is widespread in high Andean elevations up to over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet), found in the Bolivian department of Tarija, the Argentine provinces of Salta, Tucumán, Catamarca, La Rioja, San Juan and Mendoza, and the adjacent northeast of Chile.
