Denmoza 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 cactus

Cactus

A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...

 found in Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, comprising only 2 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

. The name of the genus is an anagram

Anagram

An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...

 of the western province

Provinces of Argentina

Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...

 of Mendoza

Mendoza Province

The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is...

. These species 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 varies from 15 to 30 cm.

Trunk color varies from pale green to dark green, dotted with 15 to 30 ribs. Flower

Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...

s are zygomorphic, of a maximum length of 7.5 cm, reddish in color and have white hair on the tube. The flower open sufficiently widely so that the stigma and stamen

Stamen

The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...

 are visible from outside. The fruit

Fruit

In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...

 is spherical, of about 2.5 cm in diameter, and pale green. They are sometimes also reddish and split at maturity.

Due to the Denmoza's long spines and column shape, it is a good candidate to create an amplified cactus

Amplified cactus

An amplified cactus is a cactus plant used as a musical instrument. It harnesses the acoustic properties of a cactus , by applying contact microphones and amplifying their projection and tone. The effect is somewhat ethereal, making it a suitable genre over which modern dance might be choreographed...

.

External links

• Denmoza at Cacti Guide