Blossfeldia liliputana
Blossfeldia liliputana
Blossfeldia liliputana is the only species of the monotypic genus Blossfeldia in the cactus family ( Cactaceae ). It is the smallest known species of cactus. The botanical name honors Harry Blossfeld (1913-1987), one of the discoverers of the genus. The specific epithet comes from the Latin liliputanus, is derived from the island of Lilliput from Gulliver's Travels and refers to the tiny plant body.
Description
The very small, button-like Blossfeldia liliputana is gray-green, thornless and has no ridges or warts. It grows singly or much stocky with a diameter of up to 12 millimeters.
The flowers appear in the vicinity of the apex, 6 to 15 millimeters long and have diameters between 5 to 7 millimeters. You have a few tiny flakes and are somewhat woolly. The spherical red fruits contain very little, brown, arillate seeds whose seed coat is covered with tiny, hair-like emergences.
Distribution, systematics and hazard
Blossfeldia liliputana 1936 was discovered by Harry Blossfeld and Oreste Marsoner, as they explored the northern Argentina. The species has a very extensive area of distribution, which extends mainly along the eastern side of the Andes in southern Bolivia and northern and north-western Argentina. The typical localities are vertical, absonnige cliffs in canyons where the plants stall in cracks and crevices with their small beet roots sprout and form chains.
The first description was in 1937 by Erich Werdermann. A synonym is nomenklatorisches Parodia liliputana ( Werderm. ) NPTaylor (1987).
The following taxa were included as a synonym in the way: Blossfeldia liliputana var atrovirens hort. (without year, nom. inval. ICBN article 29.1), Blossfeldia vallegrandensis Hort. Kníže (without year, nom. Inval. ICBN article 29.1), Blossfeldia campaniflora Backeb. (1959, nom. Inval. ICBN article 37.1), Blossfeldia liliputana f campaniflora ( Backeb. ) Krainz (1967, nom. Inval. ICBN article 37.1), Blossfeldia liliputana var campaniflora ( Backeb. ) Krainz (1975, nom. . inval ICBN article 37.1), Blossfeldia fechseri Backeb. (1962, nom. Inval. ICBN article 37.1), Blossfeldia liliputana f fechseri ( Backeb. ) Krainz (1967, nom. Inval. ICBN article 37.1), Blossfeldia liliputana var fechseri ( Backeb. ) Krainz (1975, nom. . inval ICBN article 37.1), Blossfeldia liliputana var caineana Cárdenas (1964 ), Blossfeldia minima var caineana ( Cárdenas ) Hort. Kníže (1987, nom. Inval. ICBN article 32.1c, 33.3), Blossfeldia atroviridis F.Ritter (1965 ), Blossfeldia liliputana var atroviridis ( F.Ritter ) Krainz (1975 ), Blossfeldia pedicellata F.Ritter (1965 ), Blossfeldia atroviridis var intermedia F.Ritter (1980 ) Blossfeldia liliputana var formosa F.Ritter (1980 ), Blossfeldia minima F.Ritter (1980 ), Blossfeldia mizqueana Hort. Kníže (1987, nom. Inval. ICBN article 32.1c, 37.1) Blossfeldia subterranea Hort. Kníže (1987, nom. Inval. ICBN article 32.1c, 37.1), Blossfeldia sucrensis Hort. Kníže (1987, nom. Inval. ICBN article 32.1c, 37.1) and Blossfeldia tominensis Hort. Kníže (1987, nom. Inval. ICBN - Artikel32.1c, 37.1).
In the Red List of Threatened Species IUCN, the type is known as " Least Concern ( LC) ," ie, than not led at risk.