Origin and Habitat: Southern Mexico, mountains of Oaxaca and Puebla.

• Echeveria setosa var. deminuta J.Meyran
• Echeveria rondelii Sterk

• Echeveria setosa var. ciliata (R.Moran) R.Moran
• Echeveria ciliata R.Moran

• Echeveria setosa var. deminuta J.Meyran
• Echeveria rondelii Sterk

Description: Echeveria setosa is a very distinct echeveria, with a remarkable pubescence. It is very variable with many variety and cultivars - often quite different at a first glance - available in cultivation.
var. deminuta: This variety has tiny, blue, clubshaped leaves with only a tuft of bristles at the ends, the rosettes are no bigger than about 3 cm. It form dense many headed clusters. This plant has been in cultivation for some time as “Echeveria rundelii”
Habit: It is a low rosette forming succulent, freely giving off offsets from the base and readily forming dense mounds.
Stem: Almost stemless.
Leaves: Small, densely packed spatulate-shaped, convex on both sides, narrow, glaucous that in the winter assumes a green-red colouring, almost glabrous with a tuft of glistening hairs at tips.
Flowers: The flowers are the most distinctive and recognisable feature of this species, they are displayed in erect, arched helicoid cymes from each rosette that reach from about 15 cm to 20 cm tall, each with about 6 to 9 florets. In larger groups of rosettes, often of the inflorescences are branched. The flowers are red and yellow simple or 2 branched second cincinni. The corolla campanulate or ovoid urceolate, prominently pentagonal.
Blooming season: Spring and early summer.

Notes: It has long been around in collections, and has widely been used because of its dense, fuzzy covering of short, white hairs, to produce several hybrids. The cross Echeveria harmsii x Echeveria setosa, for example, produced Echeveria 'Set-Oliver', popular in Britain. Other crosses elsewhere resulted in Echeveria 'Herzblut' in Germany and Echeveria 'Doris Taylor' in California, to name but a few. Crested clones are also known and highly valued by collectors.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures.
1) Werner Rauh “The Wonderful World of Succulents: Cultivation and Description of Selected Succulent Plants Other Than Cacti” Smithsonian Institution Press, 1984
2) 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
3) Hermann Jacobsen ”A Handbook of Succulent Plants: Abromeitiella to Euphorbia” Blandford Press, 1960

Cultivation and Propagation: Echeveria are easily grown succulents that can tolerate sun, shade, moist soils, dry soils, but look their best only when given adequate light levels and water, and ideally should be grown outdoors in full sun. Generally speaking, the more light a plant gets the better it will display its colours and shape. Bright light is required to prevent "stretching" of Echeverias ("stretching" occurs when a moderately fast growing plant such as an Echeveria, is grown in dim light or over-fertilized, which causes overly lush growth that contributes to weak, pallid plants). However, when moving plants from lower light conditions into full sun, be wary of sun scorch resulting from too rapid a transition into intense summer sunlight, most easily avoided by ensuring plants are well-watered before moving them on a cloudy day. Echeveria are able to tolerate extended dry periods and survive drought without the need for watering, but they will grow stronger if they receive adequate moisture during their growing season, but never allowing the plant to remain waterlogged (root rot sensitive). For this reason, it is essential in cultivation to use a very porous soil, which will allow quick drainage. Avoid overhead watering under humid conditions, especially during winter. Echeveria are shallow rooted plants, and therefore benefit from good levels of organic matter in the soil. Give it enough root space for optimum growth. Slow release fertilisers with a low to moderate nitrogen content incorporated into the potting mix are usually adequate for the spring and summer growing seasons of Echeveria, and additional fertiliser applications would not normally be required until spring. Good air movement is important for minimising pest and disease risks, and avoiding excessive humidity in cool winter conditions is important to successfully growing Echeveria in the nursery environment. Can tolerate light frosts. however, the ideal temperature range during the summer growing season is 5-25°C, with the cooler autumn temperatures tending to make their foliage colours become more intense than those of the active summer growing season. Aphids like this plant (and all flowering Echeverias).

Propagation:: It is easily propagated by cuttings in the spring. When the stem becomes too tall, just cut the top rosette with a piece of stem and plant it. It will soon take root, while the plant left with just the stem will soon grow new buds that can be in turn used for propagation. Time to take cuttings: April to July. It may also propagated by leaf propagation. If the plant is repotted some of the bottom leaves can be removed, in order to attempt propagation.. However some of the cuttings will dry out without producing a plantlet.