Ariocarpus
Encyclopedia
Ariocarpus is a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of 8 species of succulent, subtropical plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...

s of the Cactaceae family.

The name comes from the ancient Greek "aria" (an oak type) and "carpos" (=fruit) because of the resemblance of the fruit of the two genus in acorn form. Another possibility for the origin of the name is the work Scheidweiler did on the tree Sorbus aria at the time he described the genus Ariocarpus. He might have meant the fruits of Ariocarpus plants look like the fruits of the Sorbus aria.

It comes from limestone hills of Rio Grande in the south of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

(Ariocarpus fissuratus(typus)) and also the north and the center of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

(all other species including A.fissuratus forms nown ass A.loydii an A. fiss. v.intermedius) with strong sunshine exposures.

Ariocarpus are endangered and quite rare in the wild.

Selected species

  • Ariocarpus agavoides
    Ariocarpus agavoides
    Ariocarpus agavoides is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts....

  • Ariocarpus bravoanus
    Ariocarpus bravoanus
    Ariocarpus bravoanus is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-References:...

  • Ariocarpus fissuratus
    Ariocarpus fissuratus
    Ariocarpus fissuratus is a species of cactus found in small numbers in northern Mexico and Texas in the United States. Common names include living rock cactus, false peyote, and chautle.-Description:...

    Engelm.
  • Ariocarpus furfuraceus Watts., more robust species, until 25 cm of diameter.
  • Ariocarpus lloydii
  • Ariocarpus retusus
    Ariocarpus retusus
    Ariocarpus retusus is a species of cactus, from the genus Ariocarpus, found mainly in Mexico. It is one of the largest, and fastest growing, species of the genus. Despite its slow growth, often taking 10 years to reach flowering age, the retusus is a desirable cactus for cultivation, having...

  • Ariocarpus scapharostrus
  • Ariocarpus trigonus Web.

Synonyms

  • Anhalonium Lem.
  • Neogomesia Castañeda
    Castañeda
    Castañeda or Castaneda is a Spanish and Asturian and Leonese surname. In non-Hispanic countries, the name is usually spelled Castaneda . In Portuguese, this name is spelled Castanheda...

  • Neogomezia Buxb. (orth. var.)
  • Roseocactus A.Berger
  • Stromatocactus Karw. ex Rümpler (nom. inval.)

Description

The plant is semi buried with a thick central root.

The aerial part is flattened with a diameter of 6–12 cm, triangular tubercules overlapping with transverse wrinkles. The plant is totally without thorn and of gray color. It is easily hiding in its environment.

The plant summit contains a woolly structure from which emerge big pink or yellow flowers, but only after several years.

The plant contains bitter and toxic alkaloids such as hordenine
Hordenine
Hordenine is a phenethylamine alkaloid with antibacterial and antibiotic properties. It stimulates the release of norepinephrine in mammals, working as a stimulant...

. These protect the plant against consumption by herbivores.

Cultivation

While very slow growing, a number of species, A. retusus for instance, are not particularly difficult to keep.

Ariocarpus species have a tuberous root system and are quite sensitive to soil conditions, preferring sharply draining loam based soils with minimal humus. Care should be taken to avoid overwatering, allowing the soil to dry out completely between waterings. Plants require water only during periods of summer growth and should be kept perfectly dry overwinter, with a minimum temperature of 12°C, although certain species can cope with considerably cooler conditions.
Propagation is by seed and, although slow, is not necessarily difficult.

Ariocarpus seedlings are often grafted on Pereskiopsis
Pereskiopsis
Pereskiopsis is a genus of cacti .Peireskiopsis Vaupel is an orthographic variant.-Description:...

in order to considerably increase their growth rate, more mature plants may be regrafted onto Echinopsis
Echinopsis
Echinopsis is a large genus of cacti native to South America, sometimes known as hedgehog cacti, sea-urchin cactus or Easter lily cactus. One small species, E. chamaecereus, is known as the peanut cactus. The 128 species range from large and treelike types to small globose cacti...

, Eriocereus or Opuntia compressa for better hardiness, though such plants often bear little resemblance to ungrafted specimens.

External links



Ariocarpus - living rocks of Mexico photos on www.AIAPS.org
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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