Setiechinopsis

Setiechinopsis is a monotypic genus of cacti. Its only species, Setiechinopsis mirabilis, is native to Argentina.

Description

Setiechinopsis mirabilis grows solitary. The cylindrical, dull yellowish-green to brown-green shoots reach heights of with a diameter of up to. There are eleven ribs that are slightly wavy. The single, protruding and straight central spine is long. The nine to 14 radial spines are slender and straight.
The narrow, tubular, white flowers appear near the tips of the shoots and are rather unpleasantly scented. They are long. Their bracts are spread out. The fruits reach a diameter of and are long.

Taxonomy

The first description of the species as Echinopsis mirabilis by Carlos Luis Spegazzini was published in 1905. The specific epithet mirabilis comes from Latin, means 'wonderful' and refers to the appearance of the species. De Haas placed the species in the genus Setiechinopsis in 1940.

Distribution

Setiechinopsis mirabilis is distributed among lowland shrubs at 500 to 1000 meters in the Argentine provinces of Santiago del Estero, San Juan, La Rioja and Mendoza.