seeds of Aztekium hintonii

Aztekium hintonii is a cactus species that is originally from the Nuevo Leon region in Mexico. The plant was discovered as an addition to the originally presumed monotypic species Aztekium ritteri. Nuevo Leon is the only place in the world that provides a habitat for the genus Aztekium. The species that belong to this genus are notoriously slow growers, and Aztekium hintonii is no exception. The plant’s stem is a globular shape with a colour that is a mix of green and grey. The dimensions of a mature stem are 20 cm tall and 10 cm in diameter. The number of ribs in the stem can sum up to 10 to 15 and have a depth of 1.3 cm which equals the length of the spines. Flowers are magenta coloured, diurnal, measure 3 cm wide at the apex and have a funnel shape with a woolly base. The blooming of the flowers takes place at the tip of the stem during the summer months. It can take years for the minutest growth to take place. A growth of 3 mm would ideally take the plant not less than 2 years. The cultivation of Aztekium hintonii will, therefore, require great patience. The difficulty in growing them is the prime reason why they are, more often than not, grafted onto the different stock. One should be careful not to overwater the plant given such an action will lead to the roots rotting. Nonetheless, the soil has to be kept moist at all times to facilitate growth. Aztekium hintonii is considered a near threatened plant species given it grows in an area that couldn’t be larger than 50 square kilometres. There have also been significant illegal harvests over the years which have been feared to stifle a rise in number. Nevertheless, the population of the plant remains high.