Ferocactus wislizeni

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Ferocactus wislizeni
Ferocactus wislizeni flower.jpg
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. wislizeni
Binomial name
Ferocactus wislizeni
Synonyms
List
    • Echinocactus wislizeniEngelm. 1848
    • Echinocactus arizonicusR.E.Kunze 1909
    • Echinocactus falconeriOrcutt 1902
    • Echinocactus wislizeni var. albispinusToumey 1895
    • Echinocactus wislizeni f. albispinus(Toumey) Schelle 1926
    • Echinocactus wislizeni var. albusCostantin & Poiss. 1907
    • Echinocactus wislizeni var. decipiensEngelm. 1878 publ. 1879
    • Echinocactus wislizeni var. latispinusSchelle 1907
    • Echinocactus wislizeni f. phoeniceus(R.E.Kunze) Schelle 1926
    • Echinocactus wislizeni var. phoeniceusR.E.Kunze 1913
    • Ferocactus arizonicus(R.E.Kunze) Orcutt 1926
    • Ferocactus falconeri(Orcutt) Orcutt 1926
    • Ferocactus phoeniceus(R.E.Kunze) Orcutt 1926
    • Ferocactus wislizeni subsp. ajoensisFencl & Kalas 2013
    • Ferocactus wislizeni var. ajoensisFencl & Kalas 2012
    • Ferocactus wislizeni var. albispinus(Toumey) Y.Itô 1952
    • Ferocactus wislizeni var. flalconeri(Orcutt) Y.Itô 1981
    • Ferocactus wislizeni var. phoeniceus(R.E.Kunze) Y.Itô 1952

Ferocactus wislizeni, the fishhook barrel cactus, also called Arizona barrel cactus, candy barrel cactus, and Southwestern barrel cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae, native to northern Mexico and the southern United States. It is a ball-shaped cactus eventually growing to a cylindrical shape, with spiny ribs and red or yellow flowers in summer.

Contents

Some sources mistakenly spell the epithet "wislizenii." The correct spelling is with one "i," per ICN article 60C.2. [2]

Description

The fishhook barrel cactus typically grows to a diameter of roughly 2.25 ft (0.69 m) and a height of 3–6 ft (0.91–1.83 m). However, specimens as wide as 3 ft (0.91 m) and tall as 10 ft (3.0 m) have been recorded. [3] The common name comes from the spines, which are thick and hooked. It has a leathery asparagus green cortex (skin) with approximately 15-28 ribs per cactus. Its flowers are yellow to red-orange and appear atop the cactus fruit during the summer months. The fruits are green when unripe, yellow after the flower dries up, and persist atop the cactus long after the flower is gone, sometimes for more than a year.

In adulthood, fishhook barrel cacti generally lean southward, toward the sun, earning them the nickname "compass barrel cactus." One theory about why this happens is, the afternoon sun is so intense it slows the growth on the exposed side, causing the plant to grow unevenly. Older barrels can lean so far they uproot themselves and fall over, especially after heavy rains when the soil is loose. [4] Its life cycle is 50–100 years.

Like Sclerocactus , Ferocactus typically grows in areas where water flows irregularly or depressions where water can accumulate for short periods of time. They are not associated with washes and arroyos but rather grow along rocky ridges and open bajadas.

The "fishhook" spines and the armored web of spines enclosing the cactus body are a defense against herbivory. Rarely a mature barrel cactus is found hollowed out by javelina but overall prickly pear experience much higher levels of damage from more species. Barrel cactus spines pose an extreme hazard for handling, penetrating boots and gloves. The roots are quite long but very shallow.

Distribution

The fishhook barrel cactus is native to southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. More specifically, it can be found in southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, El Paso County, Texas and northern Sonora, Sinaloa, and Chihuahua, Mexico. [5] It grows in gravelly or sandy soil, more commonly on bajadas than steep slopes, at 1000 to 5300 feet (300–1600 m) elevation. It prefers full sun, and does well in hot arid climates. It is, however, frost-tolerant to 5 °F (-15 °C) [6]

Ecology

The flowers are pollinated by cactus bees (Lithurge spp.). Mule deer, birds, Antelope Ground Squirrels and javelina eat the fruit. The birds especially like the seeds. The people of the Sonoran Desert use the fruit for candy and jelly. [5] The Seri and O'odham eat the flowers and use the fruit, which is sour, as emergency food. [4] Tradition says that the barrel cactus is a source of water for people lost without water in the desert. There are records of the southwestern Native Americans using it for that purpose, [7] but the water contains oxalic acid and is likely to cause diarrhea if ingested on an empty stomach. [8]

The skin thickens with age, making older cacti more fire resistant. Even so, average mortality due to fire is 50 to 67 percent within the first two years following fire. [5]

In urban areas, the Fishhook Barrel is valued as an ornamental plant. It is drought tolerant and good for xeriscaping, and it is also a low-maintenance full-sun plant.

Taxonomy

This species was first described as Echinocactus wislizeni in 1848 by George Engelmann. Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose placed the species in the genus 'Ferocactus in 1922. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cactus</span> Family of mostly succulent plants, adapted to dry environments

A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word cactus derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek word κάκτος (káktos), a name originally used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant whose identity is now not certain. Cacti occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes. They are native to the Americas, ranging from Patagonia in the south to parts of western Canada in the north, with the exception of Rhipsalis baccifera, which is also found in Africa and Sri Lanka. Cacti are adapted to live in very dry environments, including the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth. Because of this, cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. For example, almost all cacti are succulents, meaning they have thickened, fleshy parts adapted to store water. Unlike many other succulents, the stem is the only part of most cacti where this vital process takes place. Most species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves. As well as defending against herbivores, spines help prevent water loss by reducing air flow close to the cactus and providing some shade. In the absence of true leaves, cacti's enlarged stems carry out photosynthesis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrel cactus</span> Type of cactus

Barrel cacti are various members of the two genera Echinocactus and Ferocactus, endemic to the deserts of Southwestern North America southward to north central Mexico. Some of the largest specimens are found in the Sonoran Desert.

<i>Mammillaria</i> Genus of cactus mostly from Mexico

Mammillaria is one of the largest genera in the cactus family (Cactaceae), with currently 200 known species and varieties recognized. Most of the mammillarias are native to Mexico, while some come from the Southwestern United States, the Caribbean, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Venezuela. The common name "pincushion cactus" refers to this genus and the closely-related Escobaria.

<i>Ferocactus</i> Genus of cacti

Ferocactus is a genus of large barrel-shaped cacti, mostly with large spines and small flowers. There are about 30 species included in the genus. They are found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishhook cactus</span> Index of plants with the same common name

Fishhook cactus is a common name for any hook-spined species of the genera Mammillaria, Echinomastus, Sclerocactus, or Cochemiea. They are small cacti, usually growing up to 6-7 inches (20 cm) high, and are shaped similar to a barrel cactus. They are not to be confused with the fishhook barrel cactus of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. The Fishhook cactus is a large category of around 150 species.

<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>Kroenleinia grusonii</i> Species of cactus

Kroenleinia grusonii, popularly known as the golden barrel cactus, golden ball, "mother-in-law's cushion" or "mother-in-law’s chair", is a species of barrel cactus which is endemic to east-central Mexico.

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saguaro</span> Species of cactus in the Sonoran Desert

The saguaro is a tree-like cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea that can grow to be over 12 meters tall. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas of California. The saguaro blossom is the state wildflower of Arizona. Its scientific name is given in honor of Andrew Carnegie. In 1933, Saguaro National Park, near Tucson, Arizona, was designated to help protect this species and its habitat.

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

Cochemiea tetrancistra is a species of fishhook cactus known by the common name common fishhook cactus. It is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, where it grows in a variety of desert habitat types.

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

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

<i>Opuntia macrocentra</i> Species of cactus

Opuntia macrocentra, the long-spined purplish prickly pear or purple pricklypear, is a cactus found in the lower Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. A member of the prickly pear genus, this species of Opuntia is most notable as one of a few cacti that produce a purple pigmentation in the stem. Other common names for this plant include black-spined pricklypear, long-spine prickly pear, purple pricklypear, and redeye prickly pear.

<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 hamatacanthus</i> Species of cactus

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

Flora of the Sonoran Desert includes six subdivisions based on vegetation types. Two are north of the boundary between the United States and Mexico, and four are south of the boundary. The flora of the Colorado Desert are influenced by the environment of the very dry and hot lower areas of the Colorado River valley, which may be barren, treeless, and generally have no large cacti. Flora of the Arizona Upland are comparatively lush, with trees and large columnar cacti that can withstand winter frosts. Those subdivisions of the Sonoran Desert which lie south of the international border are characterized by plants that cannot withstand frost.

<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 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 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.

Ferocactus tiburonensis is a species of Ferocactus found in Mexico.

References

  1. Burquez Montijo, A.; Felger, R.S. (2017) [amended version of 2013 assessment]. "Ferocactus wislizeni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T152037A121519210. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T152037A121519210.en . Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  2. J. McMeill et al. (eds). 2012. International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. Regnum Vegetabile 154. Koeltz Scientific Books. ISBN   978-3-87429-425-6
  3. Barrelcactus Cactacae Ferocactus wislizeni. USDA Fact Sheet Archived 2006-09-02 at the Wayback Machine .
  4. 1 2 Mark A. Dimmitt. Cactaceae (cactus family). Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.
  5. 1 2 3 US Forest Service. Index of Species Information. SPECIES: Ferocactus wislizenii.
  6. Philippe Faucon. Fishhook Barrel Cactus Archived 2012-02-07 at the Wayback Machine . Desert Tropicals.
  7. "BRIT - Native American Ethnobotany Database". naeb.brit.org. Retrieved 2019-03-23.
  8. "Cactaceae (cactus family)". www.desertmuseum.org. Retrieved 2019-03-23.
  9. Dietrich, Albert; Otto, Friedrich (1846). "Allgemeine Gartenzeitung". Biodiversity Heritage Library. Retrieved 2024-01-17.