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Species library › Frailea › Frailea cataphracta
Succulents Well documented

Frailea cataphracta

A tiny, flattened Frailea known for the dark crescent marks under each areole, from lowland grassland and savanna in Paraguay, southwestern Brazil and eastern Bolivia. It wants hot, bright summers with regular water and a drier, mild winter.

Frailea cataphracta
Photo: Thomaz Ricardo Favreto Sinani, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows in open savanna, grassland and among rocks in hot lowlands, often half-shaded by grasses.

Lowland plant, recorded at about 160-475 m.

ParaguayBrazil West-CentralBrazil SouthBolivia

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY 4.0 licence, unmodified.