Grusonia
Grusonia bradtiana
Grusonia is a genus in the cactus family ( Cactaceae ). The botanical name of the genus honors the German inventor and entrepreneur Hermann Gruson.
Description
The plants are either kurzzylindrisch and forming clumps or shrubby or tree-like. The roots are beet -like usually, but sometimes fibrous. The shoots are usually divided into cylindrical and spherical segments, which have sometimes gehöckerte ribs. From the areoles spring hair, thorns and glochids.
The pink, purple, yellow or white flowers appear on the side or almost at the shoot tip and open on the day.
The dry or fleshy fruits are sometimes tearing up and often sterile. They contain whitish to yellowish seeds of approximately 2.5 to 5 mm length.
Distribution and systematics
The genus Grusonia is common in the southwestern United States, the Baja California peninsula and some states in northern Mexico.
The type species of the genus Cereus bradtianus JMCoult. The genus is divided into the following sub- genera and species:
- Subgenus Corynopuntia ( F.M.Knuth ) Stuppy Grusonia aggeria ( Ralston & Hilsenb. ) EFAnderson
- Grusonia agglomerata ( A.Berger ) E.F.Anderson
- Grusonia bulbispina ( Engelm. ) H.Rob.
- Grusonia clavata ( Engelm. ) H.Rob.
- Grusonia dumetorum ( A.Berger ) E.F.Anderson
- Grusonia emoryi ( Engelm. ) Pijia
- Grusonia grahamii ( Engelm. ) H.Rob.
- Grusonia invicta ( Brandegee ) E.F.Anderson
- Grusonia kunzei (Rose) Pijia
- Grusonia moelleri ( A.Berger ) E.F.Anderson
- Grusonia parishii ( Orcutt ) Pijia
- Grusonia reflexispina ( Wiggins & Rollins ) EFAnderson
- Grusonia schottii ( Engelm. ) H.Rob.
- Grusonia vilis (Rose) H.Rob.
- Subgenus Grusonia Grusonia bradtiana ( J.M.Coult. ) Britton & Rose
- Subgenus Marenopuntia ( Backeb. ) Stuppy Grusonia marenae ( S.H.Parsons ) E.F.Anderson
- Subgenus Micropuntia ( Daston ) Stuppy Grusonia pulchella ( Engelm. ) H.Rob.
Synonyms of the genus are Corynopuntia FMKnuth, Marenopuntia Backeb. and Microputia Daston.
Botanical history
The genus name appeared for the first time in a garden catalog by Johannes Nicolai, who performed it as a kind of Grusonia cereiformis. Karl Moritz Schumann mentioned in 1894 and 1896 in the monthly journal for Kakteenkunde the way, but was not a valid description. Schumann donating to the name Frederick Reichenbach. The first valid description was as Cereus bradtianus by John Merle Coulter according to data collected by Anna B. Nickles copies. The first description of the genus was made by Nathaniel Lord Britton in 1919 and Joseph Nelson Rose.
A first basic editing of the genus took place in 1973, when Harold Ernest Robinson set seven species of the genus Corynopuntia Grusonia. Edward Frederick Anderson expanded the number of species in 1999 one more time.
The taxonomic status of the species is not fully understood. There are studies that suggest that the genus Grusionia should be incorporated into the genus Cylindropuntia.
In David Hunt New Cactus Lexicon of 2006, the genus included with Grusonia bradtiana only one species all other species in the genus he refers Corynopuntia.