Origin and Habitat: This species is endemic to northwestern Argentina, where it occurs in the provinces of Catamarca, Córdoba, La Rioja, Mendoza, Salta, Santiago del Estero, San Juan, San Luis and Tucumán.
Altitude range: 100 to 1,200 metres above sea level.
Habitat and Ecology: This cactus grows in flat, sandy or silty areas away from rocks and steep slopes, but often in the shade of shrubs. It has a wide distribution and is often locally common. In the northeastern part of its range Gymnocalycium schickendantziiSN|22430]]SN|22430]] may be affected by agricultural activities.

• Gymnocalycium schickendantzii (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose
• Echinocactus schickendantzii F.A.C.Weber

• Gymnocalycium schickendantzii (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose
• Echinocactus schickendantzii F.A.C.Weber
• Gymnocalycium antherostele F.Ritter
• Gymnocalycium lumbrerasense F.Ritter
• Gymnocalycium schickendantzii var. michoga (Frič) Backeb.
• Gymnocalycium michoga Frič ex Y.Itô
• Gymnocalycium schickendantzii var. pectinatum Neuhuber
• Gymnocalycium schickendantzii subs. periferalium Neuhuber
• Gymnocalycium schickendantzii var. pungens (Frič) hort.
• Gymnocalycium pungens Z.Fleisch.

• Gymnocalycium schickendantzii subs. delaetii (K.Schum.) G.J.Charles
• Echinocactus delaetii K.Schum.
• Gymnocalycium delaetii (K.Schum.) Hosseus
• Gymnocalycium schickendantzii var. delaetii (K.Schum.) Backeb.
• Gymnocalycium delaetii f. antherosacos F.Ritter ex Neuhuber
• Gymnocalycium delaetii var. longispinum n.n., catalog name

Description: Gymnocalycium schickendantziiSN|12116]]SN|22430]] is a nice looking broadly globular, somewhat flattened cactus similar to Gymnocalycium saglionisSN|22430]]SN|12116]], but with quite varied spination, some with beautiful long interlacing spines. Two subspecies are recognized, the nominate form and subsp. delaetii (K.Schum.) G.J.Charles.
Stem: About 10 cm in diameter, dark olive green to brownish green. Young plants have broadly orbicular plant bodies which, when mature, become about as tall as they are broad.
Ribs: Ribs 7-16, distinctly tuberculate, with transverse furrows.
Areoles: Elongated, fuzzy white.
Spines: 6-7 radial only spines, strong, somewhat flattened, curved outward or downward, reddish-grey to yellowish
brown turning to ash colour as they age., to 3 (or more) cm long.
Flowers: G. schickendantzii commonly flowers from lateral areoles as well as from the crown. Flowers funnel shaped with long floral tubes, white to reddish, to 5 cm long. The stigma has 12 yellowish lobes.
Fruits: Ovoid, green to bluish.

Notes: The spines are very peculiar somehow flattened dark brown in the upper face and grey below.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
2) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey "The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass" Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
3) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
4) Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton: “Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names” Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg 2010
5) Ortega-Baes, P., Méndez, E. & Kiesling, R. 2013. Gymnocalycium schickendantzii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 April 2015.

Cultivation and Propagation: Keep this plant almost dry in winter at a minimum temperature of 0°C, prefer a low pH compost otherwise growth will stop altogether. The plant tolerate extremely bright situations but are likely to suffer from sun scorch or stunted growth if over exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day in summer. Repotting should be done every other year or when the plant has outgrown its pot.
Propagation: Seeds (It don't produces offsets).
Seed Collecting: Permit fruit to ripen, fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed; clean and dry seeds.