Ferocactus latispinus

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Ferocactus latispinus
Flor de Ferocactus latispinus.jpg
Ferocactus latispinus in flower
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Ferocactus
Species:
F. latispinus
Binomial name
Ferocactus latispinus
Synonyms
  • Bisnaga latispina(Haw.) Doweld 2000
  • Bisnaga recurva subsp. latispina(Haw.) Doweld 1999
  • Cactus latispinusHaw. 1824
  • Echinocactus cornigerus var. latispinus(Haw.) C.F.Först. 1846
  • Echinocactus latispinus(Haw.) Hemsl. 1880
  • Echinocactus recurvus var. latispinus(Haw.) Mittl. 1841
  • Ferocactus recurvus var. latispinus(Haw.) G.Unger 1992
  • Mammillaria latispina(Haw.) Tate 1840
  • Melocactus latispinus(Haw.) Pfeiff. 1837

Ferocactus latispinus is a species of barrel cactus native to Mexico.

Contents

Description

Ferocactus latispinus grows as a single globular light green cactus reaching the dimensions of 30 centimetres (12 in) to 1 meter in height and 40 centimetres (16 in) across, with 21 acute ribs. Its spines range from reddish to white in color and are flattened. The four central spines growing up to 4–5 centimetres (1.6–2.0 in) long and 4–9 millimetres (0.16–0.35 in) wide and 5-15 marginal spines that are straight or recurved. Flowering is in late autumn or early winter. [2] The funnel-shaped flowers are purplish or yellowish and reach 4 cm long, and are followed by oval-shaped scaled fruit which reach 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in) long. [3]

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognised, differing in their number of radial spines. [3]

ImageNameDescriptionDistribution
Ferocactus recurvus ssp. greenwoodii (5751526777).jpg Ferocactus latispinus subsp. greenwoodii(Glass) N.P.Taylor4-5 radial spinesMexico (Oaxaca)
Ferocactus recurvus (5754295102).jpg 'Ferocactus latispinus subsp. latispinus9–15 radial spines, Devil's Tongue Barrel or Crow's Claw Cactus. [2] Mexico (Durango to Puebla)
Ferocactus latispinus ssp. spiralis (5747319699).jpg Ferocactus latispinus subsp. spiralis(Karw. ex Pfeiff.) N.P.Taylorgrows up to 1 meter tall, 5–7 radial spinesMexico (Veracruz, Puebla, Oaxaca).

Distribution

The species is endemic to Mexico; the more widely distributed subspecies latispinus ranges from southeastern Durango, through Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, east to the western parts of San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo and Puebla, as well as to eastern Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro and Mexico State. Subspecies spiralis is restricted to the southern parts of Oaxaca and Puebla. [3] This species is typically found under nurse plants like tree canopies and shrubs. Plants are found growing in oak forest, grasslands, silt flats, and in rocky outcrops at elevations of 600 to 2,600 metres (2,000 to 8,500 ft). [4] These nurse plants protect these smaller plant species below them from harsh weather conditions; being able to provide shade for the cacti in arid and sunny environments. [5]

Taxonomy

Originally described as Cactus latispinus in 1824 by English naturalist Adrian Hardy Haworth, it gained its current name in 1922 with the erection of the genus Ferocactus by American botanists Britton and Rose. [3] The species name is derived from the Latin latus "broad", and spinus "spine". Ferocactus recurvus is a former name for the species. [3]

Cultivation

Ferocactus latispinus is fairly commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant. It blooms at an early age which is a desirable horticultural feature. It is hardy to −4 °C, with an average minimum temperature of 10 °C. [2]

The slime mold, Didymium wildpretii feeds on the decaying remains of F. latispinus in Mexico. [6]

Related Research Articles

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Ferocactus cylindraceus is a species of barrel cactus which is known by several common names, including California barrel cactus, Desert barrel cactus, compass barrel cactus, and miner's compass. It was first described by George Engelmann in 1853.

<i>Ferocactus glaucescens</i> Species of cactus

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<i>Ferocactus echidne</i> Species of cactus

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<i>Ferocactus viridescens</i> Species of cactus

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Didymium wildpretii is a species of slime mold which feeds on the decaying remains of various species of cacti. It was first described in 2007 and has been found across Mexico and the Canary Islands, but may be present where other cacti grow. Its sporocarps are short ; their sporotheca is pale yellow with an orange stalk and their spores have a diameter of 7.5 μm. When grown on agar, it completes its life cycle in 28–56 days. It grows on basic media with a pH of 7.8–10.0, with optimum growth occurring at 8.5–9.4. The species was named after Wolfredo Wildpret de la Torre, an expert in the flora of the Canary Islands.

<i>Ferocactus peninsulae</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus peninsulae is a barrel cactus in the genus Ferocactus of the family Cactaceae.

<i>Ferocactus robustus</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus robustus is a barrel cactus in the genus Ferocactus of the family Cactaceae.

<i>Ferocactus pilosus</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus pilosus, also known as Mexican lime cactus or Mexican fire barrel, is a species of cactus in North America.

<i>Ferocactus emoryi</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus emoryi, known commonly as Emory's barrel cactus, Coville's barrel cactus and traveler's friend, is a barrel cactus in the genus Ferocactus.

<i>Ferocactus fordii</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus fordii is a species of succulent plant in the family Cactaceae, commonly known as Ford's barrel cactus, endemic to the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico. It is spherical, growing to 50 cm (20 in) in diameter, with whitish-grey radial spines and solitary flowers of a deep rose pink, 4 cm (2 in) in diameter.

<i>Ferocactus hamatacanthus</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus hamatacanthus, commonly named Turk's Head, is a barrel cactus in the tribe Cacteae.

<i>Ferocactus alamosanus</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus alamosanus is a species of Ferocactus from Mexico.

<i>Ferocactus chrysacanthus</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus chrysacanthus, commonly known as the Cedros barrel cactus, is an endangered species of cactus endemic to the islands of Cedros and West San Benito off the Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico.

<i>Ferocactus diguetii</i> Tallest species of barrel cactus

Ferocactus diguetii, commonly known as the giant barrel cactus, is the largest species of barrel cactus in the genus Ferocactus. It is an insular species endemic to several of Baja California Sur's southern islands in the Gulf of California. As the superlative giant of the barrel cacti, it reaches heights of up to 4 metres (13 ft) and diameters of 1 metre (3.3 ft) in the wild, a result of island gigantism. The species has red flowers that bloom from March to May. Although restricted in range, this species grows in protected habitat and lacks major threats.

<i>Ferocactus flavovirens</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus flavovirens is a species of Ferocactus from Mexico.

<i>Ferocactus gracilis</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus gracilis, the fire barrel cactus, is a species of Ferocactus from Northwestern Mexico. This cactus gets its common name from the striking red coloration of its defensive spines and flowers.

<i>Ferocactus townsendianus</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus townsendianus, commonly known as the Townsend barrel cactus, is a species of cactus endemic to southern Baja California Sur in Mexico. It is a barrel cactus that grows solitary stems up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) tall, with gray to brown spines, with one central spine on each areole usually curved or hooked at the tip, and orange to red flowers that bloom from May to August. Ferocactus townsendianus is similar to both Ferocactus peninsulae and Ferocactus santa-maria, and is sometimes placed under peninsulae as a variety or subspecies.

<i>Ferocactus histrix</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus histrix, also known as Acitrón barrel cactus is a species of Ferocactus native to central Mexico. It is a large barrel cactus that can be commonly found throughout all the Central Mexican matorral. It produces an edible fruit appreciated for its sour taste.

<i>Ferocactus macrodiscus</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus macrodiscus is a species of cactus in the genus Ferocactus from Guanahuato and Oaxaca States, Mexico.

<i>Ferocactus herrerae</i> Species of cactus

Ferocactus herrerae, commonly known as the twisted barrel cactus, Herrera's barrel cactus, or the biznaga, is a species of viviparous barrel cactus in the genus Ferocactus of the family Cactaceae that is native to southwestern Sonora to the northwestern coastline of Sinaloa in western Mexico.

References

  1. Biología, Héctor Hernández (Instituto de; Group), Succulent Plants Specialist; Group), Succulent Plants Specialist (2009-11-18). "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  2. 1 2 3 "Devil's Tongue Barrel, Crow's Claw Cactus". Desert Tropicals website. Archived from the original on 19 April 2000. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Anderson, Edward F. (2001). The cactus family. Timber Press. p. 332. ISBN   0-88192-498-9 . Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  4. "Ferocactus latispinus". LLIFLE. 2013-08-04. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  5. Córdova-Acosta, E et al. “Reproductive Biology of Ferocactus Recurvus (Mill.) Borg Subsp. Recurvus (Cactaceae) in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico.” Plant biology (Stuttgart, Germany) 19.5 (2017): 798–805. Web.
  6. Lado, C.; Mosquera, J.; Estrada-Torres, A.; Beltran-Tejera, E.; De Basanta, D. W. (2007). "Description and culture of a new succulenticolous Didymium (Myxomycetes)". Mycologia. 99 (4): 602–611. doi:10.3852/mycologia.99.4.602. PMID   18065011.