Maihueniopsis

Maihueniopsis subterranea Habit and flowering.

Maihueniopsis is a genus in the cactus family ( Cactaceae ). Its botanical name refers to its similarity with the related genus but not Maihuenia.

Description

Maihueniopsen are low stem and Wurzelsukkulenten. You go sometimes low, but usually strongly and form loose to dense cushions that can reach 1-2 m in diameter. The beet roots of the plants are usually bulkier than the above-ground parts at low branching and small -membered species. The members strongly shaped remote branches are usually oval, sometimes variable and usually gray - green, sometimes brown color. On them the areoles are not or only slightly elevated, often sunk in small dents. They are present only slight basal and concentrated to the tips of the most tapered members. The basal spines is only low to non-existent and stronger at the ends of the limbs. The areoles often wear long tufts of glochids and few, often flattened spines, which are mainly formed subsequently to an adult limbs. The leaves are small, pfriemförmig and quickly obsolete.

The individually springing from the areoles flowers are usually significantly larger than the limbs. They correspond to the in subfamily Opuntioideae fairly uniform structure. The flower colors range from yellow to orange and pink to purple. The seeds produced by the green or yellow fruits are flattened lenticular.

Dissemination

The distribution of Maihueniopsen located in Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. Since the plants prefer rough and cool conditions, they come in the Andes far above the treeline, at altitudes of 4000 m MSL. In comparable harsh south Patagonia, they grow close to the seaside.

System

Since Maihueniopsis is difficult to distinguish by morphological characteristics of other genera, were almost all currently counting her species previously to Austrocylindropuntia, Cumulopuntia, Opuntia, Tephrocactus or the synonymous genera Pseudotephrocactus Fric and Puna R.Kiesling. They were usually umkombiniert several times. Similarly, some previously counted to Maihueniopsis species are now among Austrocylindropuntia, Cumulopuntia, Miqueliopuntia and Tephrocactus. A final clarification on the status of the genus Maihueniopsis and related to their species will probably be achieved only by DNA analysis.

Originally established by Spegazzini type species Maihueniopsis molfinoi is no longer traceable. Your typical property, namely basal deformed limbs, probably based on a mutation of a single copy.

After Edward Frederick Anderson ( 2005), the genus of the following species:

  • Maihueniopsis archiconoidea F.Ritter
  • Maihueniopsis atacamensis ( Phil.) F.Ritter
  • Maihueniopsis bonnieae ( DJFerguson & R.Kiesling ) EFAnderson
  • Maihueniopsis camachoi ( Espinosa ) F.Ritter
  • Maihueniopsis clavarioides ( Otto ex Pfeiff. ) EFAnderson
  • Maihueniopsis COLOREA ( F.Ritter ) F.Ritter
  • Maihueniopsis crassispina F.Ritter
  • Maihueniopsis darwinii ( Hensl. ) F.Ritter
  • Maihueniopsis domeykoensis F.Ritter
  • Maihueniopsis glomerata ( Haw. ) R.Kiesling
  • Maihueniopsis grandiflora F.Ritter
  • Maihueniopsis minuta ( Backeb. ) R.Kiesling
  • Maihueniopsis ovata ( Pfeiff. ) F.Ritter
  • Maihueniopsis nigrispina ( K.Schum. ) R.Kiesling
  • Maihueniopsis subterranea ( R.E.Fr. ) E.F.Anderson
  • Maihueniopsis tarapacana ( Phil.) F.Ritter
  • Maihueniopsis wagenknechtii F.Ritter

Many of the species are quite variable and may vary in different locations of size, growth habit and spines. In Chile also occur in natural hybrids between the represented species there.

Carlos Luigi Spegazzini Tephrocactus bonnieae Genealogical DNA test
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