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Glandulicactus mathssoni
(Syn: Glandulicactus uncinatus)

Glandulicactus mathssoni SB1449 San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato, Mexico
 

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Summer (growing season)
 

Cultivation: Somewhat sensitive to overwatering (rot prone) and slow-growing. Grow in a  mineral  cactus compost and provide good drainage. Water in moderation, it prefer a completely dry place during winter. An unheated greenhoouse would be perfect. It can survive low temperatures, approx. -7° (-12°) C. They will do their best with lots of sun and become stressed with inadequate light which could result in poor growth and unnatural shape.  Provide very good ventilation.

Reproduction: Seed.

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Glandulicactus mathssonii (Berge ex K.Schum.) D.J.Ferguson
in Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 63: 91. 1991

Accepted Scientific name:  Glandulicactus uncinatus (Galeotti) Backeberg.
Pubblished in: Beitr. Sukkulentenk. Sukkulentenpflege. 1939(2): 4. 1939.

Common Name:  Chihuahuan Fishhook Cactus Brown-Flowered Hedgehog, Catclaw Cactus, Turk's Head Cactus, Texas Hedgehog.

Habitat: Grows in desert hills, flats, often on limestone rich substrates, among desert shrubs or in open grassland, usually growing in or near to grass clumps.

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix

Synonyms:

• Echinocactus mathssonii Berge ex K.Schum.
  In: Gesamtbeschr. Kakt. 351 (fig.). (1897)1898
• Ferocactus mathssonii (Berge ex K.Schum.) N.P.Taylor
  in Cact. Succ. J. Gr. Brit. 41: 91. 19791
• Ancistrocactus mathsonii (Berge ex K.Schum.) Doweld
  in Tsukkulenty 1(2): 29. 1999
• Glandulicactus uncinatus ssp. Mathsonii
• Echinocactus uncinatus Galeotti
  in Abbild. Beschr. Cact. 2: t. 18. 1848
• Ferocactus uncinatus (Galeotti) Britton & Rose
  in Cactaceae (Britton & Rose) 3: 146, fig. 153. 1922
• Hamatocactus uncinatus (Galeotti) Orcutt
  in Cactography 6. 1926
• Echinomastus uncinatus (Galeotti) F. M. Knuth
  in Backeb. & F. M. Knuth, Kaktus-ABC 358. 1935
• Thelocactus uncinatus (Galeotti) W. T. Marshall
  in Cactaceae (Berlin) 169. 1941
• Ancistrocactus uncinatus (Galeotti) L. D. Benson
  in Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 41(4): 188. 1969
• Sclerocactus uncinatus (Galeotti) N. P. Taylor
  in Bradleya 5: 94. 1987
• Pediocactus uncinatus (Galeotti) Halda
  in Acta Mus. Richnov., Sect. Nat. 5(1): 25. 1998

Description: Plants typically solitary with atractive hooked central spines, occasianally branched from the base. The flowers are a unique coppery colour.
Stem: Flattened globular to egg-shaped, green to bluish-green with a grey glaucescence. Up to 15 cm tall and 8 cm wide.
Ribs: 9-13, prominent and strongly tubercles, approx 6-9 mm broad and 9-15 mm tall.
Areoles: Approx 2-2,5 mm apart, roundish 3-5 mm in diameter with greyish-yellowish wool, and with several yellowish glands in the short woolly groove in the upper part of the tubercle (hence the genus name Glandulicactus).
Roots: Diffuse.
Spines: Strong, tannish-white to greyish-pink or purple slightly flattened, not obscuring the stem.
Central spines: 1 (or up to 4 in adult plants) the principal central (the lower one) curving and prominently hooked 5-9 cm long, 1-1,5 mm wide.
Radial spines: 5-8 of which the 2-3 upper ones straight in quasi-central position, the three lower hooked and  reddish-tan (one strong straight lower radial may be present underneath the hooked ones), lateral and upper radials subulate, tannish-white or yellowish spreading.
Flowers: Produces several buds in spirals at the plants apex on the new growth of the current season, with usually 3-5 or more flowers in clusters opening at a time. The flowers are cylindrical to funnelform, 2-4 cm long, 2-3 cm wide. Inner petal tannish, to brick red obtuse to acute, outer tepals with brownish midribs., filaments yellow or maroon up to 6 mm long, anthers yellow, style 1,2 cm long reddish, stigma lobes 10-14 yellow or orange. Pericarpel with toothed scales up to 6 mm long.
Blooming season: March to May (some flowering episodes are possible after heavy summer rains as late as August) The flowers open stimulated by warm temperatures in the morning and close partially at night and open again for 2-3 days.
Fruit: 1,5-2,5 cm long, ovate to globose, fleshy, red, indehiscent, with few conspicuous white-fringed scales, floral remnants persistent. The fruit matures in about one month (in May-June or later) and is edible.
Seeds: Black, 1,3-1,5 mm long, 1 mm broad, 0,8 mm thick.
 

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Glandulicactus uncimnatus  complex (This Taxon has many synonyms 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):

• G. uncinatus
• G. mathssonii (uncinatus)
• G. wrightii (uncinatus)

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.