Frailea concepcionensis is one of the true miniatures of the cactus family, a dwarf globular species from the seasonally dry lowlands of northern Paraguay, eastern Bolivia and the adjoining Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. It was described by Buining and Moser in 1971 from the department of Concepción in Paraguay, which gives the plant its epithet. Current taxonomy treats it as a subspecies of Frailea schilinzkyana, and it has also circulated under Frailea grahliana; the commercial name concepcionensis is retained here, as it is the name under which the seed is traded. Mature stems rarely exceed 25–30 mm across — flattened-globose, slightly depressed at the apex, deep brownish-green flushing coppery in strong light, with low six-sided tubercles and short pectinate radial spines pressed flat against the body. In habitat the plants grow among grasses and low vegetation rather than on bare rock, spending much of the day in dappled shade, which is the single most useful clue to their cultivation. Like most Frailea, this species is largely cleistogamous: the silky yellow flowers frequently never open at all, pollinating themselves inside the closed bud and filling a capsule with seed regardless. Buds that shrivel without opening are not a failure — they are where the seed comes from. Origin: Concepción (Paraguay), eastern Bolivia and Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil — seasonally dry tropical lowland Size: adult plants only 25–30 mm in diameter; flowering usually from the second or third year from seed Flowers: yellow, produced through the warm months, normally cleistogamous and self-fertile — a single plant will set seed on its own Light: bright but filtered; harsh midday sun scorches the thin epidermis of a plant that grows among grass in the wild Temperature: keep completely dry in winter and above 8–10 °C; not frost hardy Sow on a fine, gritty, free-draining mix at 20–25 °C, barely covering the seed and keeping humidity high until germination, which is normally rapid and largely complete within one to three weeks. Seedlings develop quickly and are best grown on their own roots in shallow pots; water generously through the growing season, letting the substrate dry between waterings, and withhold water entirely from late autumn. Frailea are shorter-lived than most cacti, but their prolific self-set seed makes the genus easy to keep going indefinitely from your own plants. IMPORTANT: the photograph shows a mature plant for identification purposes only. This listing is for SEEDS — the plant pictured is not for sale.
