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  Denmoza rhodacantha var. diamantina
(Syn: Denmoza diamantina)
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Denmoza rhodacantha  var diamantina  is a fiercely spiny cactus with impressive and showy ivory or yellowish spines.
The spines shape and colour of this species changes considerably with age and the old
specimen after many years start producing long white bristle.

Taxonomy: The genus Denmoza comprises only one species. The plants described as Pilocereus erythrocephalus and later transferred to Denmoza has sometimes, for instance by Backeberg, been considered as another species of the genus. D. rhodacantha changes considerably in the habit with age. The description of D. rhodacantha refers to young plants having strong spines in areoles. Old plants of the same species with multiple number of spines and sometimes with thin, 6 cm long bristly spines correspond to the description of D. erythrosepala.
 

Description: Demnozas grow slowly and stay globulous during a long period before becoming shortly column-shaped, 0.5 to 1.5 cm high. The plant's diameter ranges from 15 to 30 cm, the stem colour varies from pale green to dark green, with 15 to 30 ribs. They need to reach a reasonable size in cultivation before producing their flowers. First flowers appear, however, on plants of very unequal age and size, some time on relatively young plants but also on 30-40 years old specimens! Flowers are zygomorphous, of a maximum length of 7.5 cm, reddish in colour and have white hair on the tube. The flower open sufficiently widely so that the stigma and stamen are visible from outside.

Cultivation: D. rhodacantha is very slow growing cactus but requires no special condition in cultivation, need full sun and a very draining soil.

 

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of

Denmoza rhodacantha:


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Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Scientific name:  Denmoza rhodacantha v. diamantina Slaba,
Published in: Kaktusy, cf. Repert. Pl. Succ. (I. O. S.), 32 (4): 98-103; 47: 9 (1996 publ. 1997), 1996

 Origin:   Mountains in the province of Mendoza (Argentina)  of elevation.

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Etymology: The name of variety derives from " Rio diamante" (Diamond river) in the province of Mendoza.

Synonyms:

  • Echinocactus rhodacanthus
  • Echinopsis rhodacantha
  • Cleistocactus rhodacanthus
 



It has extraordinary scarlet zygomorphic, tubular flowers.

 

Photo gallery: Alphabetical listing of Cactus and Succulent pictures published in this site.

Photo gallery DENMOZA

Home | E-mail | Plant files | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search

All the information and photos in cactus art file are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.