Oreocereus hendriksenianus var. densilanatus: The old man of the mountains.

This is the hairy species we have in the garden. This plant is an heirloom, being something in the order of 50 years old. We inherited it as it was being thrown out of a garden about 15 years ago.

The hair is designed to reflect ultraviolet light and heat during the day, as well as insulate against freezing temperatures in the night in its natural habitat in the Andes mountains. You can see the hair is supplemented with sharp protective spines too. It flowers from time to time through the summer months from near the top of the stems which tend to branch from the base forming a clump. The stems dont have much strength, hence the lean noted on the plant in the picture below.