Chamaecereus silvestrii

Chamaecereus silvestrii is a species of cactus from northwestern Argentina and Bolivia. Synonyms include Echinopsis chamaecereus and Lobivia silvestrii.^[1] It has been called the peanut cactus.^[2] This plant should not be confused with Echinopsis silvestrii, a synonym of Echinopsis albispinosa, a species with a very different appearance.

Chamaecereus silvestrii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Genus:	Chamaecereus
Species:	C. silvestrii
Binomial name
Chamaecereus silvestrii (Speg.) Britton & Rose[1]
Synonyms[1]
Cereus silvestrii Speg. Echinopsis chamaecereus H.Friedrich & Glaetzle Lobivia silvestrii (Speg.) G.D.Rowley

Chamaecereus silvestrii has long stems about 1 cm (0.4 in) across. Orange flowers up to 4 cm (1.6 in) wide appear in late spring. In cultivation, Ch. silvestrii is hardy to temperatures as low as −7 °C (19 °F) if kept dry.^[2]

Ch. silvestrii was first collected and described in 1896 as Cereus silvestrii by Italian-Argentinian botanist Carlo Luigi Spegazzini in the mountains between the provinces of Tucuman and Salta, Argentina.^[3] However, subsequent expeditions to the area failed to find the species Spegazzini had collected and it is unknown whether the species has gone extinct since the initial collection.^[4]

This plant is a recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[5]

• 
  Talcott Greenhouse
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  Flowers