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As the common name (Twisted barrel cactus) suggests, its ribs form a
spiral as the plant matures.
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Description: Barrel shaped, solitary, up to 40 cm in diameter, 2m
tall; 13 sharp ribs, occasionally spiraled; the number of spines varies
depending on the plant maturity; 7 to 9 central spines, at least one
flattened, larger; bristle-like radials. Its flowers colour is always
yellow with reddish midribs and brown tips. Blooming time summer and
early autumn. The fruit is fleshy, yellowish green.
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Attention:
The beautiful spines that hook around can graph you if you get
too close.
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Family:
Cactaceae (Cactus
Family)
Origin: Mexico (Sinaloa, Sonora), in
coastal plains, at less than 400 m elevation.
Habitat:
It grows in grit on the hill-sides. It gets lots of water
in two months and lots of sun all year.
Use: The fruits of this plant are edible, and in the past, the seeds
have been used to make flour.
Common English Names include: Fishhook barrel cactus
Synonyms: Ferocactus wislizeni var. herrerae Taxonomy note: F. herrerae (J.
G. Ortega) along whit the
allopatric species
F. tiburonensis (G. E. Lindsay) are
often cited as varieties of
F. wislizeni by some botanists
but all reports of intermediates with F. herrerae are
based on normal F. herrerae there is in fact a 100
kilometre gap in Sonora where neither barrel occurs, this give rise to
some doubt that it belongs to the same species as F. wislizeni.
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Description: Barrel shaped, solitary, up to 40 cm in diameter, 2m
tall; 13 sharp ribs, occasionally spiraled; the number of spines varies
depending on the plant maturity; 7 to 9 central spines, at least one
flattened, larger; bristle-like radials. Its flowers colour is always
yellow with reddish midribs and brown tips. Blooming time summer and
early autumn. The fruit is fleshy, yellowish green
Cultivation:
Use very draining soil, water during the aestival growth
cycle (this plant need plenty of water) But needs to be avoided
wetting the bodies of these plants while they are in sunlight. A wet
cactus in the sun light can cause sun burning which can lead to scares
or even fungal infections and death.
Needs full sun. Keep dry at 10°C in winter,
but can tolerate sporadic light frost.
Reproduction:
Seeds are the only way of
reproducing.
Photo of conspecific taxa,
varieties, forms and cultivars of
plants belonging to the Ferocactus peninsulae/wislizenii
complex
(This
Taxon has various synonyms ( like many other cacti)
whit several controversial varieties and subspecies and comprises a
multitude of different forms, but where each form is linked to others by
populations of plants with intermediate characteristics):
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