Echinocereus viridiflorus

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Echinocereus viridiflorus
Echinocereus viridiflorus.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Echinocereus
Species:
E. viridiflorus
Binomial name
Echinocereus viridiflorus
Synonyms
  • Cereus viridiflorus(Engelm.) Engelm. 1849
  • Echinocactus viridiflorus(Engelm.) Pritz. 1855

Echinocereus viridiflorus is a species of cactus known by the common names nylon hedgehog cactus, green pitaya, and small-flowered hedgehog cactus. It is native to the central and south-central United States and northern Mexico, where it can be found in varied habitat types, including desert scrub, woodlands, dry grasslands, and short-grass prairie. [3]

Contents

Description

This cactus has a small spherical to ovoid, sometimes elongated or cylindrical in shape, stem 3 centimeters to over 30 centimeters tall and up to 1 to 9 centimeters wide. The 6 to 18 ribs are clearly humps. It is mostly unbranched but it may occur in squat clusters of several branches. The body of the plant is ridged and lined with many areoles bearing spines. The spines may be red, yellow, white, purplish, or bicolored, sometimes with darker tips and are up to 2.5 centimeters long. The 8 to 24 marginal spines are also red, cream or brown and up to 1.8 centimeters long. The flower is up to 3 centimeters long and has tepals in shades of yellowish, brownish, greenish, or occasionally red, with darker reddish midstripes. The tepals are thin at the tips. They are usually wide open, funnel-shaped and green to yellow-green. They are 2.5 to 3.0 centimeters long and large in diameter. The fruits are spherical, green and heavily thorny. [3] [4]

Taxonomy

The species is most closely related to E. chloranthus (Engelm.) Haage and E. russanthus Weniger. [5] These species share small seeds, basal nectaral tissue, and flowers that are yellow/brown and less than 4 cm in length.[ citation needed ]

The taxonomy within the species is uncertain, with authors recognizing several varieties which are sometimes treated as separate species. New molecular evidence suggests that E. viridiflorus subsp. cylindricus should be recognized as a distinct species because it has different morphology and different numbers of molecular autapomorphies than E. viridiflorus. One variety, var. davisii (sometimes called Echinocereus davisii), Davis' green pitaya, is federally listed as an endangered species. This taxon is very small, reaching no more than 3 centimeters tall. It becomes smaller when water is scarce, withdrawing under the ground, sometimes leaving just some spines sticking out. [6] [7]

Subspecies

ImageNameDistribution
Echinocereus viridiflorus var. canusA.M.Powell & WeedinW. Texas.
Echinocereus chloranthus var. neocapillus1MABJ.jpg Echinocereus viridiflorus subsp. chloranthus(Engelm.) N.P.TaylorSE. Arizona to W. Texas and Mexico (Chihuahua).
Echinocereus viridiflorus subsp. correllii(L.D.Benson) W.Blum & Mich.LangeSW. Texas.
Echinocereus viridiflorus subsp. cylindricus(Engelm.) N.P.TaylorCS. New Mexico to W. Texas and Mexico (Coahuila).
Echinocereus viridiflorus subsp. davisii(Houghton) N.P.TaylorSW. Texas
Echinocereus viridiflorus var. neocapillus(Weniger) A.D.ZimmermanW. Texas
Echinocereus viridiflorus 1211034.jpg Echinocereus viridiflorus subsp. viridiflorusSW. South Dakota to N. Texas and Mexico (Coahuila)

Distribution

Echinocereus viridiflorus is widespread in the US states of South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, as well as in the neighboring Mexican states of Coahuila and Chihuahua. It has yellow-green flowers. This rare variety is endemic to Brewster County, Texas, where it grows in beds of Selaginella in rocky soils of novaculite origin. [8] There was only one population known as of 1984, and it probably will not expand its range because it is limited to a specific mineral substrate. [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Echinocereus</i> Genus of plants

Echinocereus is a genus of ribbed, usually small to medium-sized, cylindrical shaped cacti, comprising about 70 species native to the southern United States and Mexico in very sunny, rocky places. Usually the flowers are large and the fruit edible.

<i>Escontria</i> Genus of cacti

Escontria is a genus of cactus. The only species is Escontria chiotilla, the chiotilla or jiotilla.

<i>Echinocereus engelmannii</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus engelmannii, the strawberry hedgehog cactus or Engelmann's hedgehog cactus, is a cactus commonly found in desert areas of the southwestern United States and the adjacent areas of Mexico, including the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Baja California and Sonora.

<i>Echinocereus reichenbachii</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus reichenbachii is a perennial plant and shrub in the cactus family. The species is native to the Chihuahuan Desert and parts of northern Mexico and the southern United States, where they grow at elevations up to 1,500 meters (4,900 ft). This cactus earned the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Echinocereus triglochidiatus</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus triglochidiatus is a species of hedgehog cactus known by several common names, including kingcup cactus, claretcup, and Mojave mound cactus. This cactus is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it is a resident of varied habitats from low desert to rocky slopes, scrub, and mountain woodland. It is most abundant in shady areas.

<i>Pelecyphora minima</i> Species of cactus

Pelecyphora minima is a rare species of cactus known by the common names Nellie cory cactus, Nellie's pincushion cactus, birdfoot cactus, and others. It is a very popular species among cactus collectors. This is one reason why it is a highly endangered species in the wild today. This cactus is found only in Brewster County, Texas, in the United States, where there are three populations remaining near Marathon. The cactus is limited to one outcrop in the Marathon Uplift, where it grows in rocky novaculite soils. It was added to the endangered species list in 1979.

<i>Pelecyphora sneedii</i> Species of cactus

Pelecyphora sneedii is a rare species of cactus known by the common names Sneed's pincushion cactus and carpet foxtail cactus.

<i>Echinocereus chisoensis</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus chisoensis is a rare North American species of cactus known by the common name Chisos Mountain hedgehog cactus, native to the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico and the south-central United States.

<i>Echinocereus fendleri</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus fendleri is a species of cactus known by the common names pinkflower hedgehog cactus and Fendler's hedgehog cactus. It is named in honor of Augustus Fendler.

<i>Pediocactus bradyi</i> Endangered species of cactus

Pediocactus bradyi is a very rare species of cactus known by the common names Brady's pincushion cactus, Brady's hedgehog cactus, and Marble Canyon cactus. It is endemic to Arizona in the US, where it is restricted to Marble Canyon in Coconino County, though its exact distribution is not generally advertised due to poaching concerns. It is limited to a specific type of soil, it has a small distribution, and the species is threatened by a number of human activities. This has been a federally listed endangered species of the United States since 1979.

<i>Echinocereus dasyacanthus</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus dasyacanthus is a member of the cactus family, Cactaceae. It is one of about 2000 total species belonging to this family. The cactus is commonly known as Texas rainbow cactus because of the subtle rings or bands of contrasting colors along the stem of the plant. Not all Texas rainbow cacti have the "rainbow" coloration on their stems. Another common name is spiny hedgehog cactus.

<i>Echinocereus stramineus</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus stramineus is a species of cactus, wih stramineus meaning made of straw. There are various common names such as strawberry cactus, porcupine hedgehog cactus, straw-color hedgehog, and pitaya. The straw-colored spines distinguishes this particular plant from other Echinocereus. The aged spines may turn white in color and are very fragile.

<i>Echinocereus berlandieri</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus berlandieri is a species of hedgehog cactus. Its range includes most of South Texas, and is commonly found along the Nueces River and the lower Rio Grande.

<i>Cochemiea boolii</i> Species of cactus

Cochemiea boolii is a species of cactus in the subfamily Cactoideae with pink-petaled flowers.

<i>Echinocereus fasciculatus</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus fasciculatus, commonly known as pinkflower hedgehog cactus, is a clumping cactus (Cactaceae) with brilliant magenta flowers and long spines found in the Sonoran Desert.

<i>Echinocereus coccineus</i> Species of plant

Echinocereus coccineus is a species of hedgehog cactus. Its native to Northern and Central America. It grows on full sun, in sandy or rocky well-drained soil. It can survive in hardiness zones 8–11.

<i>Echinocereus knippelianus</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus knippelianus is a species of hedgehog cactus native to Mexico. It can be grown in cultivation.

<i>Echinocereus rigidissimus</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus rigidissimus, commonly known as the Arizona rainbow cactus or rainbow hedgehog cactus is a solitary growing cactus that rarely branches or offsets with age.

<i>Echinocereus scheeri</i> Species of plant in the genus Echinocereus

Echinocereus scheeri is a species of hedgehog cactus in the family Cactaceae, native to northern Mexico. With its dramatic offsets, it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Echinocereus enneacanthus</i> Species of plant

Echinocereus enneacanthus is a species of flowering plant first described by George Engelmann.

References

  1. Heil, K.; Terry, M.; Corral-Díaz, R. (2017) [amended version of 2013 assessment]. "Echinocereus viridiflorus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T152032A121455315. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T152032A121455315.en . Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  2. NatureServe (2023). "Echinocereus viridiflorus". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 Echinocereus viridiflorus. Flora of North America.
  4. Anderson, Edward F. (2011). Das große Kakteen-Lexikon (in German). Stuttgart (Hohenheim): Ulmer. p. 211-212. ISBN   978-3-8001-5964-2.
  5. Sánchez, D., Arias, S., & Terrazas, T. (2014). Phylogenetic relationships in Echinocereus (Cactaceae, Cactoideae). Systematic Botany, 39(4), 1183-1196.
  6. Echinocereus davisii. Flora of North America
  7. 1 2 var. davisii. Center for Plant Conservation.
  8. USFWS. var. davisii Recovery Plan. September 1984.