Pediocactus sileri

Pediocactus sileri in bloom in Arizona

Pediocactus sileri is a plant of the genus Pediocactus in the cactus family ( Cactaceae ). The specific epithet of the type AL Siler, who discovered the first plants. English common names are " Gypsum Cactus" and " Siler 's Pincushion Cactus".

The species is threatened and has been included in Appendix I of CITES to protect endangered species.

Description

The gray to blue-green, mostly single, sometimes group-forming plant body is spherical to ovoid and is cylindrical with age. He attained stature heights of 5 to 20 cm (rarely 30 cm) and diameter of 5 to 12 cm. On the conical warts are round to oval, woolly, cream to gray areoles from which 4 to 8 1.5 to 3 cm long central spines arise. The 10 to 16 needle-shaped, irregularly arranged spines are white to gray and 1 to 2 cm long.

The funnel-shaped bloom to the peak and have a length and a diameter of up to 2.5 cm. Mostly, the bracts are yellow to brownish, rarely pink. The flowering period is April to May. The cylindrical to oval fruits are 1.2 cm long and have a diameter of 8 mm. They contain 3 to 15 gray, brown to almost black seeds that mature within 4 to 6 weeks.

Distribution, systematics and hazard

Pediocactus sileri is endemic in the border area of Arizona and Utah widespread in the Mohave County, Coconino, Washington and Kane at altitudes between 800 and 1500 meters. It grows in chalky substrate on low hills, and is associated with Sclerocactus parviflorus, Navajoa peeblesiana subsp. fickeiseniorum, Escobaria vivipara var arizonica and various Opuntia and Yucca species.

The first description was in 1896 by the American botanist John Merle Coulter, who used the contracts awarded by George Engelmann name Echinocactus sileri. Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose presented this way in 1922 as in the Utahia sileri of them newly created monotypic genus Utahia. Lyman David Benson, it ordered in 1961 under its present name Pediocactus sileri genus Pediocactus to.

Pediocactus sileri is the type species of the section Rhytidospermae whose members exhibit the typical wave structure of the outer seed testa.

In the Red List of Threatened Species IUCN, the type is known as " Least Concern ( LC) ," ie, than not led at risk.

Pictures

Pediocactus sileri:

Old -protected specimens (Utah ).

Pink flowering specimens are rare.

An old group.

A group with dense spines (Utah ).

In culture in Europe.