Weingartia arenacea (Cárdenas) Brandt
Formerly Sulcorebutia arenacea, also found as Sulcorebutia candiae, Sulcorebutia menesesii, Sulcorebutia muschii, Sulcorebutia glomeriseta (though the latter is here regarded as a species in its own right).
The name does not refer to spiders, as might be thought, but means “sandy (coloured)”. There are two very distinct forms of this very variable species. The nominate has very short, dense, mostly laterally pointing, pale spines giving the plant a whitish look; the other forms intergrade, and have orangeish or gingery coloured spines with a variety of spine lengths, straight and curved, body-hugging and projecting. Flowers are yellow.
Hentzschel & Augustin (2008) recognise four varieties; the nominate, plus:
- Weingartia arenacea var. candiae (Cárd.) Hentzschel & K.Augustin
- Weingartia arenacea var. kamiensis (Bred. et Don.) Hentzschel & K.Augustin
- Weingartia arenacea var. menesesii (Cárd.) Hentzschel & K.Augustin
Plants of this species in the collection include:
Weingartia arenacea var. arenacea Card1009
Weingartia arenacea var. arenacea Card4400
Weingartia arenacea var. arenacea HS30
Weingartia arenacea var. arenacea PHA731
Weingartia arenacea var. arenacea WR460
Weingartia arenacea var. candiae
Weingartia arenacea var. candiae BLMT638
Weingartia arenacea var. candiae FR774
Weingartia arenacea var. candiae GV135
Weingartia arenacea var. candiae HS29
Weingartia arenacea var. candiae JO694
Weingartia arenacea var. candiae Rep763
Weingartia arenacea var. kamiensis HS188
Weingartia arenacea var. kamiensis HS189
Weingartia arenacea var. kamiensis HS191
Weingartia arenacea var. kamiensis L 974
Weingartia arenacea var. kamiensis RH433
Weingartia arenacea var. kamiensis WR607