Parodia magnifica

Parodia magnifica is a species of flowering plant in the family Cactaceae, native to southern Brazil. One of several species called ball cactus, it is also called balloon cactus.^[2] It grows to 7–15 cm (3–6 in) tall by 45 cm (18 in) broad, with heavily ribbed, spherical to columnar, spiny and hairy stems, bearing pale yellow flowers in summer.^[3] Its natural habitat is cool, dry temperate grassland at elevations of up to 800 m (2,600 ft).^[2] Populations are sparse and fragmented, and it has been designated as "Endangered" by the IUCN Red List.^[1]

Parodia magnifica
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Genus:	Parodia
Species:	P. magnifica
Binomial name
Parodia magnifica (F.Ritter) F.H.Brandt

In cultivation it must be kept above 10 °C (50 °F), so in temperate regions is grown under glass. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[4][5]

Synonyms

• Notocactus magnificus^[6]
• Eriocactus magnificus

The plant may still be found listed under these synonyms in the horticultural literature.