Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Astrophytum asterias group

• Astrophytum asterias (Zucc.) Lem.: Non-branched, flat, dark green. Just flat to the ground surface, the plant body grows on the native habitat practically complete buried . Only in cultivation plants may have a spherical till columnar shape. Diameter 3-8(-16) cm. Height 2 to 6 cm.
• Astrophytum asterias f. aurea hort.: Mutant completely lacking chlorophyll pigment. The result is a completely yellow or yellow-orange plant.
• Astrophytum asterias f. cristatum hort.: The crested form only deviate from the typical form for the stem which is fan shaped up to 30 cm (or more ) in diameter with age.
• Astrophytum asterias var. nudum Y.Itô: (a.k.a. cv. Ruri Kabuto) This form has a very characteristic glabrous stem lacking the white tufts of loose hairy scales typical of the common Astrophytum asterias.
• Astrophytum asterias var. nudum f. aurea hort.: Nude mutant completely lacking chlorophyll pigment. The result is a completely yellow plant.
• Astrophytum asterias var. nudum f. cristata hort.: Crested nude form.
• Astrophytum asterias var. nudum f. rubra hort.: has nude ribs of a bright orange-red colour due to the absence (or reduced production) of chlorophyll pigments.
• Astrophytum asterias f. proliferum hort.: This form varies from the typical Astrophytum asterias for the tendency to branch forming small side pups from the areole.
• Astrophytum asterias var. roseiflorum Frič: Selected form with pink coloured flowers. However a very few pink flowered specimens will appear time by time among normal yellow flowered plants.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Akabana: (Akabana Kabuto) Its flowers are red, which is very uncharacteristic of this genus. Petals are shaded in dark pinkish-red, orange-red or purple wine-red with usually even darker flower edges.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Alpus: the of rib tips (bearing the line of areoles) are more or less deeply seated within the plants body, while the suture line between the ribs is turned outward and more or less expanded creating odd and unique shapes.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Ekubo Kabuto
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Elephant Skin: has a bumpy elephant-like skin.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Feather Flower: has colourful fringed petals.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Fukuryiu: Plant with dditional ribs. This plant will develop protuberances (like beginnings of ribs) or small extra ribs (more or less prominent ). Usually these additional ribs will not reach the plant apex.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Gelbe Bluete
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Godzilla: Has reptile-like skin.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Gokuu-kabuto
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Golden kabuto
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Goryo Kabuto (Five Ribs): 5 ribbed form available with different pattern of the spots.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Goryo Kabuto (Five Ribs) + Ruri: has nude stems with only 5 ribs.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Goryo Kabuto (Five Ribs) + Ruri + Fukuryiu + Ooibo
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Hakuun: This cultivar varies from the typical A. asterias for the white flecks that condense, forming characteristic cloud-like patches.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Hakuun forma prolifera: Plant distingushed for the white flecks that condense, forming characteristic cloud-like patches and for the tendency to branch forming small side pups from the areole.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Hanaizumi
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Hanazono: Some additional woolly areoles are produced on the ribs surface. Flowers buds develop from the median line between two ribs and usually they are not produced by areoles.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Hanazono Star Type
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Ibosaki Kabuto
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Ikaryoko: Monstrous form.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Kigan Kabuto
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Kikko: (Kikko Kabuto) It has raised tubercles along the ribs edges, in fact its areoles stick out with large notches between them, giving them a bumpy look.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Kikko Lizard Skin: has broad raised tubercles with a lizard Skin and the plant appears decorated with a geometrical design which is raised above the surface, giving it a bumpy look.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Kikko Nudum: This is the nude form of "Kikko" with raised tubercles along the ribs edges, it resembles some chinned cacti particularly some Gymocalyciums.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Kikko Nudum f. aurea: This is the albinos form of "Kikko" (Mutant completely lacking chlorophyll pigment) The result is a completely cream-white, yellow or reddish plant.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Kikko Nudum f. cristata: crested form.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Kikko Nudum violet: This is the violet schizochromic form form of "Kikko". The result is a magenta-violet plant.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Kiku Kabuto
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Kofuki Kabuto
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Koo-yo
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Mamma Kikko: has ribs completely divides in tubercles that resemble women breasts. When viewed from above the plants resemble a tortoise-shell.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Mirakuru Kabuto
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Mottles
• Astrophytum asterias cv. muscle: has green ribs with large creamy white areoles and for the abnormal tendency to branch forming small side pups. Ribs usually 8 with raised tubercles giving them a bumpy look.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. muscle cristatum: crested form with green ribs with large creamy white areoles.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Musha Kabuto
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Nisiki (orange): has sectors, patches or stripes with distinct shades of orange-red.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Nisiki (yellow): has sectors, patches or stripes with distinct shades of yellow.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Nohakuten Kabuto: Heavily flecked form.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Ohkan Kabuto
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Ooibo + Ruri (nudum) Kabuto: Plant with large woolly areoles (typical of cv. Ooibo) and with green nude stem ( Typical of cv. Rury Kabuto)
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Ooibo Kabuto: Japanese selected strain with big wooly areoles, the colour of the wool also varies from pure white, to pastel, yellowish, orangish or brownish depending on the clone.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Rasen Kabuto
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Rensei: It is a nice selection with densely packaged areoles (usually orangish) on the rib edges. The areoles tend to merge, forming an almost continuous line.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Ruri Kabuto Akabana: has smooth green stem of cv. Ruri Kabuto (Astrophytum asterias var. nudum) and bright red flowers of cv. Akabana.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Ruri Kabuto Nisiki (Orange-Red): a.k.a.: forma nuda variegata (Orange-Red Type)
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Ruri Kabuto Nisiki (Yellow): a.k.a.: forma nuda variegata (Yellow Type)
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Sakata Kabuto
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Showa: (a.k.a. Shinshowa Kabuto) has yellow flowers with very fine petals, cut into shreds.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Showa Red: (a.k.a. Red Shinshowa Kabuto) has pink-red or orange-red flowers with very fine petals, cut into shreds.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Star Type: This cultivar only varies from the typical A. asterias for the star shaped stem instead of rounded .
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Super Hanazono: has the inimitable furry additional areoles of cv. Hanazono with the large mosaic of extensive white spots of cv. Superkabuto. The result is an intensely white and furry plant.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto: Distinguished from the normal A. asterias by the epidermis, that does not have simple dots, but a mosaic of extensive white spots that make the plant look intensely maculate.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto + Ooibo: has very large characteristic and woolly areoles, the colour of the wool also varies from pure white, to pastel, yellowish, orangish or brownish depending on the clone.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto + Rensei (Line Areoles): has densely packaged areoles (often orangish) on the rib edges. The areoles tend to merge, forming an almost continuous line.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto f. cristata: The crested form of "SUPERKABUTO", only deviate from the typical form for the stem which is fan shaped up to 30 cm (or more ) in diameter with age.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto f. monstruosa: has slender, triangular ariocarpus-like tubercles around the woolly crown of a spherical flattened stem covered by a creamy-white felt.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto f. prolifera: distinguishable for the tendency to branch forming small side pups from the areole..
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto f. prolifera cristata: this is a peculiar crested form with an abnormal tendency to branch forming small side pups from the areole.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto Five Ribs: The form with only five ribs, is particularly rare because many of the 5 ribbed seedlings that occasionally appear will usually develop additional ribs in a few years as they age.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto Snow Type: It differ for the dense white covering of dots that almost conceal the epidermis, this particular form is also called "Snow White", or “White Form” .
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto Snow Type f. cristata: crested form with stems completely concealed by tufts of bright white hairy scales.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto Snow Type f. monstruosa: produces odd bumped shapes with branches completely concealed by tufts of bright white hairy scales, and it is possible to find clones with different degrees of monstrosity.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto Star Type: Typical "Superkabuto" with extensive white spots, but with star shaped stem instead of rounded. .
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto Star Type + Snow type
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto Star Type + V Type: This is a very nice and distinguishing plant that combine the star shaped form with the V pattern of the "V type" form.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto Sutadorimu: (Star Dream)
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto V type: a.k.a. "V-type", “Fly's wings type” or “Tiger”. It differs for the diverse pattern that form distinct v-shaped lines resembling the shape of fly's wings.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto V type f. cristatum
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Superkabuto Yellow Dots Type
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Taryo Kabuto
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Thirteen ribs: The normal rib number (eight) is very stable in wild specimens. The form with thirteen ribs is quite exceptional.
• Astrophytum asterias cv. Wakareryu