Frailea castanea f. crested (Crested)

This cactus specimen sports its fan-shaped crest, making it highly sought after by collectors all over the world. The crest is a mutation that never appears identical in two or more distinct specimens , thus each plant has a different and unique crest. In the normal form F. castanea is a cactus with a globose stem and chocolate-coloured or even dark red skin that gives it its name. It is equipped with perfectly symmetrical and flat ribs, in the center of which long straight rows of whitish areole develop, from which microscopic black spines arranged like the legs of a spider, usually all facing downwards and well attached to the body of the plant. In the cold periods, the cactacee tends to deflate in nature and hide under the soil to protect itself, while in summer its so decorative appearance is amplified by large intense yellow flowers, which sometimes even exceed the size of the plant itself.