# Echinopsis

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Genus of cacti

For the genus of sea urchin, see [Echinopsis (echinoderm)](/source/Echinopsis_(echinoderm)).

Not to be confused with [Echinops](/source/Echinops) or [Echidnopsis](/source/Echidnopsis).

Echinopsis Echinopsis oxygona Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Order: Caryophyllales Family: Cactaceae Subfamily: Cactoideae Tribe: Cereeae Subtribe: Trichocereinae Genus: Echinopsis Zucc. Type species Echinopsis eyriesii, now Echinopsis oxygona Species See text. Synonyms[1] Acantholobivia Backeb. Andenea Kreuz. Aureilobivia Frič ex Kreuz., not validly publ. Chamaecereus Britton & Rose Cinnabarinea Frič ex F.Ritter Cosmantha Y.Itô × Cosmopsis Y.Itô Echinonyctanthus Lem. Furiolobivia Y.Itô Helianthocereus Backeb. Hymenorebulobivia Frič ex Kreuz., not validly publ. Hymenorebutia Frič ex Buining Lobivia Britton & Rose Lobiviopsis Frič ex Kreuz., not validly publ. Megalobivia Y.Itô, not validly publ. Mesechinopsis Y.Itô Neolobivia Y.Itô Pilopsis Y.Itô, not validly publ. Pseudolobivia (Backeb.) Backeb. Salpingolobivia Y.Itô × Salpingolobiviopsis Y.Itô Scoparebutia Frič & Kreuz. ex Buining Soehrensia Backeb. Trichocereus (A.Berger) Riccob.

***Echinopsis*** is a [genus](/source/Genus) of [cacti](/source/Cactus) [native](/source/Native_plant) to South America, sometimes known as **hedgehog cactus**, **sea-urchin cactus** or **Easter lily cactus**. As of November 2025[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Echinopsis&action=edit), [Plants of the World Online](/source/Plants_of_the_World_Online) used a broad [circumscription](/source/Circumscription_(taxonomy)) of the genus, resulting in about 80 accepted species, ranging from large and treelike types to small globose cacti. The name derives from *echinos* hedgehog or [sea urchin](/source/Sea_urchin), and *opsis* 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.

## Taxonomy

Studies in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in several formerly separate genera being absorbed into *Echinopsis*. When very broadly [circumscribed](/source/Circumscription_(taxonomy)), *Echinopsis* [sensu lato](/source/Sensu) included over 100 species.[2] Some genera have been absorbed and then accepted again. For example, the genus name *Trichocereus* was given to a number of columnar cacti in 1909 by [Vincenzo Riccobono](/source/Vincenzo_Riccobono). The genus was subsumed into *Echinopsis* in 1974 by Friedrich, along with *[Lobivia](/source/Lobivia)*. In 2011, it was argued that *Trichocereus* was distinct from *Echinopsis*,[3] and a 2012 genetic and morphological study by Albesiano found *Trichocereus* to be monophyletic if it included three species of *[Harrisia](/source/Harrisia_(plant))*.[4]

A 2012 genetic analysis of chloroplast DNA indicated *Echinopsis* was made up of several divergent lineages.[5] This was shown again in 2019.[2] It was concluded that previous taxonomic confusion was due to [convergent evolution](/source/Convergent_evolution): species in different lineages had evolved to have similar growth and/or to share [pollinators](/source/Pollinator).[5]

As of October 2025[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Echinopsis&action=edit), [Plants of the World Online](/source/Plants_of_the_World_Online) subsumed *[Soehrensia](/source/Soehrensia)*, *Chamaecereus*, *Trichocereus*, and *Lobivia* into *Echinopsis*, resulting in a genus of around 80 species.[1]

### Species

Species of *Echinopsis* accepted by [Plants of the World Online](/source/Plants_of_the_World_Online) as of November 2025[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Echinopsis&action=edit):[1]

Image Scientific name Distribution Echinopsis albispinosa K.Schum. (including E. silvestrii) Argentina Echinopsis ancistrophora Speg. Echinopsis angelesiae (R.Kiesling) G.D.Rowley Echinopsis arachnacantha (Buining & F.Ritter) Friedrich Echinopsis arboricola (Kimnach) Mottram Echinopsis aurea Britton & Rose Argentina Echinopsis ayopayana F.Ritter & Rausch Echinopsis backebergii Werderm. Echinopsis breviflora (Backeb.) M.Lowry Argentina (Salta) Echinopsis bridgesii Salm-Dyck Echinopsis bruchii (Britton & Rose) H.Friedrich & Glaetzle Echinopsis caineana (Cárdenas) D.R.Hunt Echinopsis calochlora K.Schum. (including E. hammerschmidii) Bolivia to Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul) Echinopsis calorubra Cárdenas 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 in Trichocereus) Peru Echinopsis chamaecereus H.Friedrich & Glaetzle Echinopsis chrysantha Werderm. Argentina Echinopsis chrysochete Werderm. Echinopsis cinnabarina (Hook.) Labour. Echinopsis clavata (F.Ritter) D.R.Hunt (sometimes in Trichocereus) Bolivia Echinopsis crassicaulis (R.Kiesling) H.Friedrich & Glaetzle Echinopsis cuzcoensis (Britton & Rose) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley (sometimes in Trichocereus) Peru Echinopsis densispina Werderm. Argentina Echinopsis ferox (Britton & Rose) Backeb. Echinopsis formosa (Pfeiff.) Jacobi ex Salm-Dyck Echinopsis friedrichii G.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. (including E. sanguiniflora) Argentina Echinopsis lageniformis (C.F.Först.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley (sometimes in Trichocereus) Bolivia. Echinopsis lateritia Gürke Echinopsis luisramirezii (Lodé & F.Carlier) M.H.J.van der Meer Echinopsis macrogona (Salm-Dyck) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley Echinopsis mamillosa Gürke Echinopsis marsoneri Werderm. Bolivia to Argentina (Jujuy, Salta) Echinopsis maximiliana Heyder 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 (including E. 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 pamparuizii Cárdenas Echinopsis pentlandii (Hook.) Salm-Dyck ex A.Dietr. Echinopsis pereziensis Cárdenas Echinopsis pugionacantha Rose & Boed. Echinopsis quadratiumbonata (F.Ritter) D.R.Hunt Echinopsis rauschii Friedrich Bolivia (Cochabamba) Echinopsis rojasii Cárdenas Bolivia Echinopsis saltensis Speg. Echinopsis sandiensis Hoxey Echinopsis schickendantzii F.A.C.Weber Echinopsis schieliana (Backeb.) D.R.Hunt Echinopsis schreiteri (A.Cast.) Werderm. Echinopsis serpentina M.Lowry & M.Mend. Echinopsis smrziana Backeb. 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 sucrensis Cárdenas 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 torrefluminensis M.Lowry Bolivia 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 werdermannii Frič ex Fleisch. (sometimes in E. oxygona) Paraguay Echinopsis yuquina D.R.Hunt

In addition, many hybrids exist, mostly between similar species, such as the cross between *[Echinopsis pachanoi](/source/Echinopsis_pachanoi)* (formerly *Trichocereus macrogonus* var. *pachanoi*) and *E. eyriesii* (now *E. oxygona*) which was sold under the name "Trichopsis pachaniesii" by Sacred Succulents.

## Distribution

*Echinopsis* species are native to South America ([Argentina](/source/Argentina), [Bolivia](/source/Bolivia), [Peru](/source/Peru), [Brazil](/source/Brazil), [Paraguay](/source/Paraguay) and [Uruguay](/source/Uruguay)).[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]

## Cultivation

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Time-lapse video of a blooming echinopsis

The growing and resting seasons for *Echinopsis* are the same as for *Echinocactus*.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Research by J. Smith (former Curator at the [Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew](/source/Royal_Botanic_Gardens%2C_Kew)) showed that species like the [Chilean](/source/Chile) *Echinopsis cristata* and its [Mexican](/source/Mexico) relatives thrive if potted in light loam, with a little leaf mould and a few nodules of [limestone](/source/Limestone). The limestone keeps the soil open; it is important that the soil should be well drained.

## Gallery

		- *Echinopsis oxygona* visited by a European honeybee; Kfar Blum Kibbutz garden, Israel.

		- *Echinopsis oxygona*

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-POWO_30001009-2_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-POWO_30001009-2_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-POWO_30001009-2_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-POWO_30001009-2_1-3) ["*Echinopsis* Zucc"](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30001009-2). *Plants of the World Online*. Retrieved 2025-11-15.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-GuerMajuCornHern19_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-GuerMajuCornHern19_2-1) Guerrero, Pablo C.; Majure, Lucas C.; Cornejo-Romero, Amelia & Hernández-Hernández, Tania (2019). "Phylogenetic Relationships and Evolutionary Trends in the Cactus Family". *Journal of Heredity*. **110** (1): 4–21. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/jhered/esy064](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fjhered%2Fesy064). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [30476167](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30476167).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Schi11_3-0)** Schick, Robert (2011), "*Echinopsis* sensu stricto and *Trichocereus*: Differentiating the Genera", *Cactus and Succulent Journal*, **83** (6): 248–255, [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2985/0007-9367-83.6.248](https://doi.org/10.2985%2F0007-9367-83.6.248), [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [83700680](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:83700680)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Albesiano, Sofía; Terrazas, Teresa (2012). ["Cladistic Analysis of *Trichocereus* (Cactaceae: Cactoideae: Trichocereeae) Based on Morphological Data and Chloroplast Dna Sequences: Dedicated to Omar Emilio Ferrari (1936-2010)"](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280989243). *Haseltonia*. **17**: 3–23. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2985/1070-0048-17.1.2](https://doi.org/10.2985%2F1070-0048-17.1.2). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [9835045](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:9835045).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Schlumpberger_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Schlumpberger_5-1) Schlumpberger, Boris O.; Renner, Susanne S. (2012). ["Molecular phylogenetics of *Echinopsis* (Cactaceae): Polyphyly at all levels and convergent evolution of pollination modes and growth forms"](https://doi.org/10.3732%2Fajb.1100288). *American Journal of Botany*. **99** (8): 1335–49. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2012AmJB...99.1335S](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012AmJB...99.1335S). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.3732/ajb.1100288](https://doi.org/10.3732%2Fajb.1100288). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [22859654](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22859654).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Sea-urchin cactus | Description, Distribution, & Facts | Britannica"](https://www.britannica.com/plant/sea-urchin-cactus). *www.britannica.com*. Retrieved 2024-05-09.

## Bibliography

- [Edward F. Anderson](/source/Edward_F._Anderson), *[The Cactus Family](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Cactus_Family&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Timber Press, 2001) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-88192-498-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-88192-498-9), pp. 255–286

- K. Trout, *Trout's Notes on San Pedro & related Trichocereus species (Sacred Cacti 3rd ed. Part B)* (Moksha Press, 2005) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-9770876-0-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9770876-0-3)

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Echinopsis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Echinopsis).

[Wikispecies](/source/Wikispecies) has information related to ***[Echinopsis](https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Echinopsis)***.

- [Cactus Culture for Amateurs](http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/3/3/5/13357/13357-h/13357-h.htm) by W. Watson (1889)

- [Cactus Culture Volume 1: Trichocereus](https://trichocereus.net/wp-content/uploads/Trichocereus%20Culture%20First%20Published%20Edition%20Cactus%20Cultivation.pdf) by Patrick Noll

- [SucculentCity: *Plant Profiles, Photographs & Cultivation Data*](http://succulentcity.googlepages.com/cactaceae-echinopsis)

- [Kuentz: *Echinopsis* (in French)](https://web.archive.org/web/20050824211329/http://www.kuentz.com/noms/echinopsis.htm)

- [Lohmueller: *Echinopsis*](http://www.f-lohmueller.de/botany/gen/e/Echinopsis.htm)

- [*Mattslandscape; Echinopsis hybrids-growing culture*](http://www.mattslandscape.com/echinopsis_info/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200603032907/https://mattslandscape.com/echinopsis_info/) 2020-06-03 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

- [Vimeo Video Echinopsis Cacti in Bloom](https://vimeo.com/122575482)

- [echinopsis.com Photographs, Videos](http://echinopsis.com/)

- [Echinopsis Cacti Flower Photographs, Videos](http://echinopsisfreak.com/)

v t e Echinopsis E. albispinosa E. aurea E. breviflora E. calochlora E. chalaensis E. chrysantha E. clavata E. cuzcoensis E. densispina E. haematantha E. jajoana E. lageniformis E. marsoneri E. oligotricha E. oxygona E. rauschii E. rojasii E. tacaquirensis E. torrefluminensis E. werdermannii

Taxon identifiers Echinopsis Wikidata: Q131726 Wikispecies: Echinopsis APNI: 136458 BioLib: 105582 CoL: 49M5 EoL: 2918119 EPPO: 1EHSG FNA: 111247 FoAO2: Echinopsis GBIF: 3231908 GRIN: 4107 iNaturalist: 63213 IPNI: 30001009-2 IRMNG: 1336475 ITIS: 907015 NCBI: 183648 NZOR: 881597e2-7f52-4dce-9449-b238cc1c565e Open Tree of Life: 819440 Paleobiology Database: 33008 PLANTS: ECHIN11 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30001009-2 Tropicos: 40001007 WFO: wfo-4000012949

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Echinopsis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinopsis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinopsis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.