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flowers. These are variously classified as Trichocereus, Helianthocereus and Lobivia. Unfortunately Echinopsis is now often considered to include the tall cacti formally called Trichocereus and small plants with coloured flowers, usually called Lobivia. Therefore you really have to check the species when buying them.

E. mirabilis is often classified in its own genus, Setiechinopsis. This is an oddball with brown, cylindrical stems to about 20cm high and white, nocturnal flowers.

Lobivia was a genus of mostly smaller plants with brightly coloured flowers that opened in the day but they're now mostly included in Echinopsis today. E. densispina and E. winteriana have pectinate spines and straight ribs. Other species like E. pentlandii have spiralled ribs, curved spines and off centre ariols, giving them a trough, rouged look. Apart from the species sometimes classified as Trichocereus or Sohrensia (which are rather large) you can just collect loads of these.

With clumps of short, creeping, cylindrical stems and red flowers, Chameacereus silvestrii (a.k.a Lobvia silvestrii or Echinopsis chameacereus) is one of the easiest cacti to grow. It's one of several odd members of this group.

There are several groups of hybrid Echinopsis. Chamaebivia (Chameacereus X Lobivia), with sausage like stems, Paramount hybrids (Echinopsis X Lobivia) and Schlick hybrids (mostly with Helianthocereus in them), generally rather large. They all have large flowers.

Mediolobivia was a genus of plants that were small even for Lobivias with flowers near the base of the stems. They're variously classified as Lobivia, Echinopsis or Rebutia. The best-known species is M, L, E. or R. pygmea, which has short cylindrical, brownish stems with pectinate spines and flowers in a variety of colours.

Rebutia (which is variously considered to include Aylosteria, Mediolobivia and Sulcorebutia), are very small cacti, normally forming clumps of globular stems. The flowers are produced from near the bases of the stems and are normally brightly coloured. Some of the more noteworthy species are: R. senilis with long white spines and red flowers; R. albiflora with very small, prolificially clustering stems and white flowers with pink blotches and the beautiful R. heliosa with silvery pectinate spines and orange flowers. Just go mad and get loads of them!

Sulcorebutia is similar to Rebutia but have elongated areols with pectinate spines and a slightly different flower structure. They're all worth growing!

Weingartia

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