Origin and Habitat: Northern Argentina.

• Echinopsis aurea Britton & Rose
• Hymenorebutia aurea (Britton & Rose) F.Ritter
• Lobivia aurea (Britton & Rose) Backeb.
• Lobivia shaferi subs. aurea (Britton & Rose) E.Herzog
• Pseudoechinopsis aurea (Britton & Rose) W.R.Abraham
• Pseudolobivia aurea (Britton & Rose) Backeb.
• Salpingolobivia aurea (Britton & Rose) Y.Itô

• Echinopsis aurea Britton & Rose
• Hymenorebutia aurea (Britton & Rose) F.Ritter
• Lobivia aurea (Britton & Rose) Backeb.
• Lobivia shaferi subs. aurea (Britton & Rose) E.Herzog
• Pseudoechinopsis aurea (Britton & Rose) W.R.Abraham
• Pseudolobivia aurea (Britton & Rose) Backeb.
• Salpingolobivia aurea (Britton & Rose) Y.Itô
• Echinopsis ancastii
• Lobivia ancastii
• Echinopsis aurea var. albiflora (Rausch) J.Ullmann
• Echinopsis fallax var. albiflora (Rausch) J.G.Lamb.
• Lobivia aurea var. albiflora Rausch
• Lobivia shaferi var. albiflora (Rausch) E.Herzog
• Echinopsis aurea var. callochrysea (F.Ritter) J.Ullmann
• Echinopsis fallax var. callochrysea (F.Ritter) J.G.Lamb.
• Hymenorebutia aurea var. callochrysea F.Ritter
• Lobivia aurea var. callochrysea (F.Ritter) Rausch
• Echinopsis aurea var. catamarcensis (F.Ritter) J.Ullmann
• Echinopsis fallax var. catamarcensis (F.Ritter) J.G.Lamb.
• Hymenorebutia aurea var. catamarcensis F.Ritter
• Lobivia aurea var. catamarcensis (F.Ritter) Rausch
• Echinopsis aurea var. cylindrica (Backeb.)
• Echinopsis fallax var. cylindrica (Backeb.) J.G.Lamb.
• Hymenorebutia aurea var. cylindrica (Backeb.) F.Ritter
• Lobivia cylindrica Backeb. in Backeb. & F.M.Knuth
• Pseudoechinopsis cylindrica (Backeb.) W.R.Abraham
• Salpingolobivia cylindrica (Backeb.) Y.Itô
• Echinopsis aurea var. depressicostata (F.Ritter) J.Ullmann
• Echinopsis fallax var. depressicostata (F.Ritter) J.G.Lamb.
• Hymenorebutia aurea var. depressicostata F.Ritter
• Lobivia aurea var. depressicostata (F.Ritter) Rausch
• Echinopsis aurea var. dobeana (Dölz) J.Ullmann
• Cereus huascha var. rubriflorus Speg. non F.A.C.Weber
• Echinopsis dobeana (Dölz) J.G.Lamb.
• Lobivia aurea var. dobeana (Dölz) Rausch
• Lobivia dobeana Dölz
• Echinopsis aurea var. elegans
• Lobivia aurea var. elegans Backeb.
• Pseudoechinopsis aurea f. elegans (Backeb.) W.R.Abraham
• Pseudolobivia aurea var. elegans Backeb.
• Echinopsis aurea subs. fallax (Oehme) M.Lowry
• Echinopsis aurea var. fallax (Oehme) J.Ullmann
• Echinopsis fallax (Oehme) Friedrich
• Lobivia aurea var. fallax (Oehme) Rausch
• Lobivia fallax Oehme
• Lobivia shaferi subs. fallax (Oehme) E.Herzog
• Pseudoechinopsis aurea var. fallax (Oehme) W.R.Abraham
• Pseudolobivia aurea var. fallax (Oehme) Backeb.
• Echinopsis aurea var. grandiflora (Backeb.)
• Lobivia aurea var. grandiflora Backeb.
• Pseudoechinopsis aurea f. grandiflora (Backeb.) W.R.Abraham
• Echinopsis aurea var. lariojensis (F.Ritter) J.Ullmann
• Hymenorebutia aurea var. lariojensis F.Ritter
• Echinopsis aurea f. luteiflora (Backeb.)
• Lobivia shaferi f. luteiflora (Backeb.) E.Herzog
• Pseudolobivia luteiflora Backeb.
• Echinopsis aurea var. mizquiensis
• Lobivia mizquiensis
• Echinopsis aurea var. quinesensis Rausch
• Echinopsis quinesensis (Rausch) H.Friedrich & Glaetzle
• Hymenorebutia quinesensis (Rausch) F.Ritter
• Lobivia aurea var. quinesensis (Rausch) G.D.Rowley
• Lobivia shaferi var. quinesensis (Rausch) E.Herzog
• Pseudoechinopsis aurea var. quinesensis (Rausch) W.R.Abraham
• Echinopsis aurea var. rubriflora (E.Herzog)
• Lobivia shaferi var. rubriflora E.Herzog
• Echinopsis aurea subs. shaferi (Britton & Rose) M.Lowry
• Echinopsis aurea var. shaferi (Britton & Rose) Rausch
• Echinopsis fallax var. shaferi (Britton & Rose) Lamb.
• Echinopsis shaferi Britton & Rose
• Lobivia aurea var. shaferi (Britton & Rose) Rausch
• Lobivia shaferi Britton & Rose
• Pseudoechinopsis aurea var. shaferi (Britton & Rose) W.R.Abraham
• Salpingolobivia shaferi (Britton & Rose) Y.Itô
• Echinopsis aurea subs. shaferi f. monstruosa cristata hort.
• Lobivia shaferi f. monstruosa cristata hort.
• Echinopsis aurea subs. shaferi f. monstruosa hort.
• Lobivia shaferi f. monstruosa hort.
• Echinopsis aurea var. sierragrandensis (Rausch) J.G.Lamb.
• Lobivia aurea var. sierragrandensis Rausch
• Echinopsis aurea var. tortuosa (Rausch) J.Ullmann
• Echinopsis fallax var. tortuosa (Rausch) J.G.Lamb.
• Lobivia aurea var. tortuosa Rausch
• Echinopsis cylindracea (Backeb.) Friedrich
• Lobivia cylindracea Backeb.
• Lobivia shaferi f. cylindracea (Backeb.) E.Herzog
• Echinopsis leucomalla (Wessner) Friedrich
• Echinopsis densispina f. leucomalla (Wessner) Buining
• Hymenorebutia leucomalla (Wessner) Buining
• Lobivia aurea var. leucomalla (Wessner) Rausch
• Lobivia densispina f. leucomalla (Wessner) Buining
• Lobivia famatimensis var. leucomalla (Wessner) Backeb.
• Lobivia leucomalla Wessner
• Lobivia leucomalla var. rubispina Wessner
• Lobivia shaferi subs. leucomalla (Wessner) E.Herzog
• Pseudoechinopsis aurea var. leucomalla (Wessner) W.R.Abraham

Description: Solitary or with many basal and lateral offshoots. This species has a wide range and shows a great variability
Stems: Dark green globular or elongated reaching a height of 15cm and a diameter of 4 to 10 cm or more.
Ribs: 14 to 15 sharp-edged separated by deep grooves.
Areoles: Brown on young plants.
Spines: 8 to 10 radials clear radial about 1 cm. long pointing outward, usually 4 central spines, 2 to 4(-6) cm long. The one to four central spines are thicker, sometimes flat, about 3 cm (up to 6cm) long, and brown to black with yellow tips.
Flowers: (nearly 10 cm.) long. They are usually lemon yellow and bright yellow inside, but this species also has white, pink or red flowers. Blooms in flushes in late spring and occasionally in summer. Buds are covered by long silky hairs and grow laterally from the centre of the stem. The tube is slightly curved, funnel-shaped, slender and a greenish white, with pale green scales red at the base, with white and black down.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) David Hunt, Nigel Taylor “The New Cactus Lexicon” DH Books, 2006
2) Edward F. Anderson “The Cactus Family” Timber Press, 2001
3) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass”Cambridge University Press, 11/ago/2011
4) David Hunt, Nigel Taylor “The New Cactus Lexicon” DH Books, 2006
5) Walter Rausch "Lobivia 85" Rudolf Herzig Vienna 1985/86 (text in German)
6) Curt Backeberg "Das Kakteenlexikon: Enumeratio diagnostica Cactacearum" Gustav Fischer Verlag, 1979 (text in German)
7) Demaio, P., Kiesling, R., Lowry, M., Perea, M., Trevisson, M. & Ortega-Baes, P. 2013. Echinopsis aurea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 13 August 2014.

Cultivation and Propagation: Echinopsis aurea (and all its varieties) is one of the more common cacti, extremely resistant to neglect. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to provide adequate growing conditions in order to obtain abundant blooms.
Growth rate: It is a relatively rapidly growing species that will make large clumps given the best conditions.
Soils: As most Echinopsis cultivated for their blossom, it needs a soil mixture a little richer than the average cactus with still an excellent drainage. Prefer a low pH compost, avoid substrata too rich in limestone.
Repotting: This plant needs plenty of space for its roots, repotting should be done every other year or when the it has outgrown its pot. It is rot prone and should be planted in a shallow pot. Use pot with good drainage.
Watering: Needs moderate to copious waterings in summer (it is more demanding than other cactus), but do not overwater, keep dry in winter at a minimum temperature of 0°C.
Fertilization: Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer.
Hardiness: It is quite frost resistant if kept dry and hardy to -5° C to -18° C or less for short periods (depending on varieties and growing conditions). However warmth throughout the year will increase the grower's success (minimum 5° C during rest season).
Exposition: The plant tolerates bright situations which encourages flowering and heavy spine production, but is likely to suffer from sun scorch or stunted growth if over exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day in summer. It grows well with filtered sunlight or afternoon shade.
Uses: It is an excellent plant for container growing. It look fine in a cold greenhouse and frame or outdoor in a rockery. It is also used as a rootstock for grafting delicate and slow growing cactus species.
Pests & diseases: It may be attractive to a variety of insects, but plants in good condition should be nearly pest-free, particularly if they are grown in a mineral potting-mix, with good exposure and ventilation. Nonetheless, there are several pests to watch for:
- Red spiders: Red spiders may be effectively rubbed up by watering the plants from above.
- Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new growth among the wool with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects.
- Scales: Scales are rarely a problem.
- Rot: This species is particularly easy and accommodating, seldom suffer of cryptogamic diseases. Rot it is only a minor problem with Echinopsis if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly.
Propagation: Direct sow after last frost, offsets (if available) . Seeds germinate in 7-14 days at 21-27° C in spring, remove gradually the glass cover as soon the plants will be well rooted (ca 1-2 weeks) and keep ventilated, no full sun for young plants! To make a cutting twist off a branch and permit it to dry out a couple of weeks, lay it on the soil and insert the stem end partially into the soil. Try to keep the cutting somewhat upright so that the roots are able to grow downward.