Other cacti in habitat
Blossfeldia liliputana Werdermann
The natural range of this smallest of cacti species reaches from the south of Bolivia to the north-west of Argentina. The genus was discovered by O. Marsoner and H. Blossfeld in northern Argentina in 1936. I always had a special interest in this genus; as a young man, living in the former GDR, it seemed impossible to ever see the plants in nature. Imagine my delight when I was able to find them for the first time in the south of Bolivia in February 2008. The species grows in rock crevices and is easy to miss. Their bodies remain very small and reach about 14mm in diameter. They have no ribs; the areolas are tiny and have no thorns. Flowers emerge from the apex and are of a white to slightly pink colour. Up to now only one species has been accepted - Blossfeldia liliputana.
