superkabuto astrophytum

 Astrophytum asteriasSN|1464]]SN|1464]] ‘Super Kabuto’ with its inimitable fuzzy epidermis is actually the most popular cactus cultivar. It is easily distinguished from the normal Astrophytum asteriasSN|3564]]SN|1464]] by the epidermis, that does not have simple dots, but a mosaic of extensive white spots that make the plant look intensely maculate.
The “Superkabuto” would (probably) come from a mutation that occurred in nature to just one field-collected individual A. asterias found in 1981 by the Japanese Mr. Masaomi Takeo in an American garden centre and sold to Tony Sato at a high price in Japan.
Propagations have been made possible by cross-pollinating this fist plant with other normal A. asterias and Astrophytum capricorneSN|1464]]SN|3564]] (and possible other Astrophytum species too), it can be concluded that all the SK actually available are the result of intraspecific hybridization and SK contains not only A. asterias genes but also a significant number of A. capricorne genes, and maybe others. As a result spiny clones appear rather often and the name Astrophytum asteriasSN|1464]]SN|1464]] cv. Super Kabuto is not quite correct.
Remarks: Many different beautiful forms of ‘Super Kabuto’ , which differ for the diverse pattern of the spots are now available. It would be difficult to mention them all: they range from completely white forms (‘white-type’), to forms with woolly spots (‘snow-type’), to forms with a maculation like the shape of fly’s wings (‘zebra-type’ or ‘V type’).

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Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Astrophytum asterias group

• Astrophytum asterias (Zucc.) Lem.: Non-branched, flat, dark green. Just flat to the ground surface, the plant body grows on the native habitat practically complete buried . Only in cultivation plants may have a spherical till columnar shape. Diameter 3-8(-16) cm. Height 2 to 6 cm.
• Astrophytum asterias f. aurea hort.: Mutant completely lacking chlorophyll pigment. The result is a completely yellow or yellow-orange plant.
• Astrophytum asterias f. cristatum hort.: The crested form only deviate from the typical form for the stem which is fan shaped up to 30 cm (or more ) in diameter with age.
• Astrophytum asterias var. nudum Y.Itô: (a.k.a. cv. Ruri Kabuto) This form has a very characteristic glabrous stem lacking the white tufts of loose hairy scales typical of the common Astrophytum asterias.
• Astrophytum asterias var. nudum f. aurea hort.: Nude mutant completely lacking chlorophyll pigment. The result is a completely yellow plant.