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Thelocactus leucacanthus
This species forms large clumps of spiny stems with
star-shaped spines.
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Description: Cushion
forming cactus. Forms large groups up to 80cm in diameter.
Stem: Green globular or elonged 8- 15 cm tall, 3-6 cm in
diameter.
Ribs: 7-14 straight or spiralling.
Tubercles: Conical with rounded tip, 8-11 mm tall,. 10-14 mm
wide.
Areoles: Elonged 6 x 3 mm wide, spaced 4-6 mm. Positioned on the
top of the tubercle and furnished with
nectariferous glands.
Central spines: 0-1, upright, yellowish-white to almost black,
9-50 mm long.
Radial spines: 6-20 short (5-7 mm long) star-shapes moderately
recurved, yellowish-white becoming reddish to greyish as they age.
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Flowers: Diurnal, funnel-shaped 2,5-5,2 cm long, 2-4,5 cm in
diameter, the colour varies from pale yellow to pink depending on the
variety and clone. They are produced on the apex of the youngest
tubercles and are furnished by scales. Filament yellowish-green, anthers
yellow, style pale magenta with 5-6 stigmatic lobes.
Blooming season: The Thelocactus leucacanthus blooms at the
end of spring. The flowers last for several days but close every night.
Fruit: Furnished of scales, green to yellowish sub spherical 6-9
mm in diameter that dry at maturity. Dehisces basally and conserve the
floral remnant.
Seed:
Pyriform black, 1,4-2 mm long, 1-1,8 mm in diameter.
The subspecies 'leucacanthus'
has yellow flowers, and the subspecies 'schmollii'
has violet to carmine red flowers, both live at lower altitudes, and
ssp. schmollii with large tubercles rather than distinct ribs, looks
more like a Coryphantha than it does a Thelocactus.
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Family:
Cactaceae (Cactus
Family)
Scientific name:
Thelocactus leucacanthus ssp.
leucacanthus (Zucc. ex Pfeiffer ) Britton & Rose.
Published in: The Cactaceae; descriptions and
illustrations of plants of the cactus family 4: 8-9, f. 7, 1923
Conservation status: Listed in
CITES Appendix II
Origin: Mexico (The ssp. leucacanthus comes from Hidalgo while
the ssp. schmollii comes from Queretaro.)
Habitat: Grows in the xerophytic
scrublands in limestone rich substrata at an altitude of about 1200-1990
m.
Etymology: Lecacanthus derives fro the Greek leukos (white) and
akantha (spine)
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Synonyms:
- Ferocactus leucacanthus
- Thelocactus porrectus
- Thelocactus sanchezmejoradae
- Thelocactus sanchezmejoradai
- Thelocactus leucacanthus var.
sanchezmejoradae
- Thelocactus leucacanthus var. porrectus
- Echinocactus porrectus
- Cereus maelenii
- Thelocactus leucacanthus var. ehrenbergii
- Echinocactus ehrenbergii
- Echinocactus leucacanthus
- Cereus tuberosus
- Thelocactus ehrenbergii
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