Ferocactus glaucescens

Ferocactus glaucescens
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Genus:	Ferocactus
Species:	F. glaucescens
Binomial name
Ferocactus glaucescens (DC.) Britton & Rose
Synonyms
List Echinocactus glaucescens DC. 1828 Parrycactus glaucescens (DC.) Doweld 2000 Echinocactus dietrichianus C.F.Först. 1861 Echinocactus mammillarioides Hook. 1837 Echinocactus pfeifferi Zucc. ex Pfeiff. 1837 Echinocactus theiacanthus Lem. 1839 Echinocactus theionacanthus Lem. 1838 Echinofossulocactus pfeifferi (Zucc. ex Pfeiff.) Lawr. 1841 Ferocactus pfeifferi (Zucc. ex Pfeiff.) Backeb. 1961 Malacocarpus mammillarioides (Hook.) Britton & Rose 1922 Neoporteria mammillarioides (Hook.) Backeb. 1939 Neoporteria subgibbosa var. mammillarioides (Hook.) Donald & G.D.Rowley 1966 Pyrrhocactus mammillarioides (Hook.) Backeb. 1936

Ferocactus glaucescens, the glaucous barrel cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Cactaceae, native endemic to México.

Description

Ferocactus glaucescens is a solitary or branching cactus with spherical or cylindrical blue-green frosted shoots, growing up to 45 cm (18 in) in height and 60 cm (24 in) in diameter. The shoots have slightly depressed apices and 12 to 17 sharp-edged, non-tuberculated ribs with elongated areoles that are often connected. Its yellow spines, which are difficult to distinguish between central and peripheral, can reach up to 3.5 cm (1.4 in) in length, with one central spine and 6 to 7 radial spines.

The bell-shaped, yellow flowers of Ferocactus glaucescens are up to 4.5 cm (1.8 in) long and 2.5 to 3.5 cm (0.98 to 1.38 in) in diameter. Its spherical, whitish or yellowish, red-tinged fruits are fleshy, reaching lengths of up to 2.5 cm (0.98 in) and covered in yellowish, ciliated scales.^[2][3]

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  Adult Plant
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  Flowers
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  Flower and buds
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  Clumping behavior of plants

Distribution

This species is native to the limestone hills and dry forest of Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Querétaro, and San Luis Potosí states of Mexico at elevations of 550 to 2300 meters.

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  Plant growing between limestone south of Caricillo towards Xichu, Guanajuato
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  Plant growing in habitat south of Caricillo towards Xichu, Guanajuato
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  Habitat in Gilo, Hidalgo

Taxonomy

First described as Echinocactus glaucescens in 1828 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, the specific epithet "glaucescens" comes from the Latin words "glaucus" for 'blue-green' and "-escens" for 'becoming', referring to the color of the shoots.^[4] In 1922, Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose reclassified it into the genus Ferocactus.

Cultivation

In cultivation in temperate regions it must be grown under glass. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[5][6] There is a spineless form, Ferocactus glaucescens forma nuda (inermis).^[7]

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  Ferocactus glaucescens forma nuda (inermis)
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  Postage stamp of Ferocactus glaucescens from Moldova

References

1. Group), Succulent Plants Specialist (2009-11-16). "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
2. Anderson, Edward F.; Eggli, Urs (2005). Das grosse Kakteen-Lexikon (in German). Stuttgart (Hohenheim): Ulmer. p. 293. ISBN 3-8001-4573-1.
3. Castro, Viviana Alejandra (2013-08-04). "Ferocactus glaucescens". LLIFLE. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
4. D&Amp, Um National; (France), histoire naturelle (1828). "Mémoires du Muséum d'histoire naturelle". G. Dufour. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
5. "RHS Plant Selector - Ferocactus glaucescens". Retrieved 2 July 2020.
6. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 39. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
7. Ferocactus glaucescens forma nuda (inermis)

External links

• Media related to Ferocactus glaucescens at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Ferocactus glaucescens at Wikispecies
• Ferocactus glaucescens at Cactus Art nursery