Rebutia (Aylostera) tarijensis was first described by Walter Rausch in Kakteen und andere Sukkulenten 26(9): p.p. 195-6, the journal of the Deutsche Kakteen-Gesellschaft, in 1975. The description is reproduced here in the original Latin, together with further notes in German, and my own translations in English. You should look up the original for more details, including a colour photograph.

Rebutia (Aylostera) tarijensis RAUSCH spec. nov.

Walter Rausch

Simplex, globosa ad subelongata, 4 cm diametiens, radice carnosa napiformi , acriter viridis ad fusco-violaceo-asperata ; costis 15-17, paulum spiraliter tortis, in gibberes 5 mm latos et longos, rotundos divisis; areolis ovalibus, 2 mm longis, albo-tomentosis; aculeis marginalibus 7-9, 3-4 mm longis, tenuibus, divaricatis, fuscis, postea albis; aculeo centrali 0.

Floribus lateralibus, 40 mm longis et 35 mm diametientibus; ovario rubiginoso, receptaculo roseo, squamis glaucis, pilis albis, setis albis fusco-acuminatis tecto; phyllis perigonia exterioribus lanceolatis, violaceo-roseis, medio-fusco-viridi-striatis; phyllis perigonii interioribus spathulatis, paulum fimbriatis, rubris; fauce rosea, 20 mm longa, dimidio eius cum stylo manubrii modo connata; filamentis obscure-rubris, stylo et stigmatibus (7) viridibus.

Fructu globoso, 5 mm diametiente, ochraceo ad rubicundo, squamis obscurioribus, pilis et setis albis tecto. Seminibus mitraeformibus, subelongatis, 1,5 mm longis et 1 mm diametientibus, nigris, tunica arillosa reliqua tectis, hilo magno basali.

Patria: Bolivia, a Tarifa ad orientem versus, 2 600 m alt.

Typus: Rausch 87 in Herbario Collectionis Plantarum Succulentarum Municipali Turicensi, Helvetia.

Additional notes

Vor einem Jahr fand ich östlich von Tarija, mit Rebutia fiebrigii – Formen zusammen, einige Pflänzchen, die in der Ruhezeit Rebutia ritteri ähnlich sind, doch in der Vegetation größere, mehr in Warzen aufgelöste Rippen zeigen und große, rote Blüten mit stielartig verwachsener Blütenröhre habe.

English translation

Solitary, spherical to slightly elongated, 4 cm in diameter, with fleshy root, dark green to brown-violet tinted, 15-17 ribs, somewhat spirally twisted, divided into 5 mm wide and long, round tubercles, areoles oval, 2 mm long, white felted, 7 – 9 radial spines, 3-4 mm long, thin, spreading, brown, later white, no central spines.

Flowers produced laterally, 40 mm long and 35 mm in diameter, ovary brown-red and tube pink, with gray-green scales, white hairs and white bristles with brown tips, outer petals lanceolate, purplish-pink with brown-green central stripe, inner petals spatulate, somewhat frayed, red, pink throat, 20 mm long and half of it fused with the style, stamens dark red, style and stigmas (7) green.

Fruit spherical, 5 mm in diameter, ochre brown to reddish with darker scales, white hairs and bristles. Seed cap-shaped and somewhat elongated, 1.5 mm long and 1 mm in diameter, black, covered with remains of skin and large basal umbilicus.

Habitat: Bolivia, east of Tarija at 2,600 metres.

Type Rausch 87, deposited in the Municipal Succulent Collection of Zurich, Switzerland.

A year ago I found some small plants east of Tarija, together with forms of Rebutia fiebrigii, which are similar to Rebutia ritteri during the dormant period, but in habitat show larger ribs more broken up into tubercles and have large, red flowers with stalk-like fused flower tubes.