Rapicactus subterraneus | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Cactaceae |
Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
Genus: | Rapicactus |
Species: | R. subterraneus |
Binomial name | |
Rapicactus subterraneus (Backeb.) Buxb. & Oehme | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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Rapicactus subterraneus, synonym Turbinicarpus subterraneus, is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. [1]
Rapicactus subterraneus is a solitary cactus, typically globose to globose-cylindrical, with an elongated and thin body that can reach over 15 cm in height and 3 cm in diameter. It has a tuberous root system with tubers that have four angles and are 3-5 mm high. The areoles bear 2 central spines, blackish-gray, rigid, erect, and 2 cm long, along with 16 to 19 radial spines, glassy-white, radial, strong, and 2 to 6 mm long.
The infundibuliform flowers are violet-pink to magenta, 2-2.5 cm long and 3 cm in diameter. R. subterraneus is hermaphroditic but requires winged insects and ants for cross-pollination. The small, greenish-brown fruits contain seeds dispersed by animals, water, and wind. [3]
Endemic to Mexico, R. subterraneus has a restricted distribution, primarily near Saltillo in Coahuila, Aramberri in Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas, at elevations of 1400-1700 meters. It thrives in xerophytic shrublands on shallow slopes with calcareous and gypsum soils, often growing alongside Agave lechuguilla , Pelecyphora strobiliformis , Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus , Thelocactus hexaedrophorus , Ferocactus pilosus , Ferocactus uncinatus , Coryphantha glanduligera , and Echinocereus pectinatus . [4]