Rebutia (Aylostera) gavazzii was originally found by S. Mosti, after looking through the glasshouse collection of Leonardo Gavazzi. The plants were labelled “WR493 A. raulii, small form” as collected by Walter Rausch, but were sufficiently different in body structure and flower (and growing in a different area in the wild) to suggest they may not be a form of A. raulii. Subsequent field studies showed this to be true and A. gavazzii was given specific status by Mosti & Papini (2011). Mosti also found some plants of A. gavazzii among some A. colorea bought, labelled as “A. colorea“. These two species grow together and Mosti concedes that they are closely related.

The original description of this species was published in Cactus & Co 3(4): p. 207 in 1999 by S. Mosti, in Czech and including photographs. I have not been able to locate a copy, but have been given an English translation of a summary transcript, and some notes on the justification for specific status.

English translation

Rebutia gavazzii S. Mosti, Cactus & Co. 1999

Appearance offsetting to clumping prolifically. Stems oval or slightly short cylindrical, diameter 1.8-2.3 cm, height up to 3-3.3 cm. Skin dark green on tubercles, lighter in the furrows, without purple shades. Ribs 9-10, straight or slightly sloping. Furrows shallow to quite deep. Areoles oblong, length about 1 mm, almost completely filled with the bases of spines. Central spines absent. Radial spines 10-13, length about 3 mm, densely set and radially arranged, glassy white or yellowish (rarely brown) with a yellowish-brown base (which colors the areole). Flower 3 cm long, approximately 3-3.5 cm wide; tube pinkish brown; outer petals often spathulate, pink outside with olive green stripes, ruby ​​red inside, lighter at the base; inner petals red-pink with whitish base; pink filaments (darker at the base); green style; stigma yellowish or light green. Seed 0.94-1×0.8-0.85 mm.

  Bolivia, Tarija, Tarija. Field numbers: WR493.

Notes

Mosti’s description is followed by an account of the discovery, which includes the following points which led to the suspicion that WR493 was distinct from A. raulii:

Dimensions much smaller; stem with different appearance; distance between sites of discovery; different flower colour and shape; much smaller seed (than A. colorea).