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Acta Mus. Richnov., Sect. Nat. 5(1): 35 (1998)
Family: CACTACEAE
Accepted Scientific Name: Ariocarpus bravoanus H.M.Hern. & E.F.Anderson
Bradleya 10: 1. 1992
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Origin and Habitat: Limited to few very small areas within the state of San Luis Potosí. The plant was discovered accidentally in soil removed whilst extracting a specimen of a larger species by Hector Hernández of UNAM whilst collecting cacti for a herbarium project. The extent of occurrence for Ariocarpus bravoanus is about 2,000 km², the population is severely fragmented. The species population exceeds 10,000 individuals in several distinct colonies comprising more than fourteen locations.
Altitude range: The species occurs at elevations raging from 1,500 to 2,000 metres above sea level.
Habitat: This species grows in xerophytic shrubland on a limestone gravel plain amongst creosote bush. In the dry season the plants shrivel and almost disappear under the level of the soil. The habitat is locally classified as matorral desértico micrófilo (Rzedowski 1978). In the wild the plant is extremely endangered, and there is continuing decline due to the impacts of illegal collection, agricultural activities and other human disturbance. The type locality was systematically stripped by locals collecting the plants for sale and all the plants have been virtually collected out. Some localities are still untouched, but should collectors find these. Local people also use several ariocarpus species, including A. bravoanus, for medicinal purposes.
Synonyms:
- Ariocarpus bravoanus H.M.Hern. & E.F.Anderson
- Ariocarpus fissuratus subs. bravoanus (H.M.Hern. & E.F.Anderson) Lüthy
- Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus subs. bravoanus (H.M.Hern. & E.F.Anderson) Halda
Ariocarpus bravoanus H.M.Hern. & E.F.Anderson
Bradleya 10: 1. 1992
Synonymy: 3
- Ariocarpus bravoanus H.M.Hern. & E.F.Anderson
- Ariocarpus fissuratus subs. bravoanus (H.M.Hern. & E.F.Anderson) Lüthy
- Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus subs. bravoanus (H.M.Hern. & E.F.Anderson) Halda
Ariocarpus bravoanus subs. hintonii (Stuppy & N.P.Taylor) E.F.Anderson & W.A.Fitz Maur.
Haseltonia 5: 11. 1998 [1997 publ. 1998]
Synonymy: 6
- Ariocarpus bravoanus subs. hintonii (Stuppy & N.P.Taylor) E.F.Anderson & W.A.Fitz Maur.
- Ariocarpus fissuratus subs. hintonii (Stuppy & N.P.Taylor) Halda
- Ariocarpus fissuratus var. hintonii Stuppy & N.P.Taylor
- Ariocarpus hintonii (Stuppy & N.P.Taylor) hort.
- Ariocarpus bravoanus subs. hintonii f. monstruosa rubra hort.
CHINESE (中文): 勃氏牡丹
LITHUANIAN (Lietuvių): Meksikinis ariokarpas
SPANISH (Español): Biznaga peyotillo
Description: Ariocarpus bravoanusSN|2073]]SN|2073]] is a usually solitary rosette-shaped geophyte cactus with dark green verrucese tubercles. It is accepted as a valid taxon by most cactus researchers, including Hunt (1999) and Anderson (2001). Two subspecies are recognized: subsp. bravoanus and subsp. hintonii.
Stem: Subglobose, markedly depressed centrally, to 6(-8.5)cm wide, rising no more than 2.5(-3.5)cm above ground level in habitat, with an extensive mucilage system.
Tubercles: Not crowded or basally compressed, adpressed in young individuals, becoming ascending, olive-green or grey-green. triangular in outline, deltate in cross section, adaxially flat but becoming conspicuously concave at maturity, usually longer than broad (to 3 7cm long and 2cm wide basally), asperous at base and irregularly papillose at apex, sometimes with the papillae forming one or two lateral furrows, sharply acute to acuminate apically, and with the edges sharply acute.
Areoles: In the centre of the adaxial surface of the tubercles, 8-14mm from the tip, rounded to more or less elliptic, 2-5mm diam, woolly.
Spines: None.
Flowers: Up to 2.5cm long, outer perianth segments cream coloured inner perianth segments pinkish-magenta, filaments white, anthers yellow; pistil exerted above the stamens, white, style 13mm long, stigma
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Ariocarpus fissuratus group
Ariocarpus bravoanus H.M.Hern. & E.F.Anderson: It is particularly interesting as it represents a link between the former subgenera Ariocarpus with an undivided or fully divided areole and Roseocactus subgenus with the areolar fissure.
Ariocarpus bravoanus subs. hintonii (Stuppy & N.P.Taylor) E.F.Anderson & W.A.Fitz Maur.
Ariocarpus bravoanus subs. hintonii f. monstruosa rubra hort.: has soft rubbery textured red montrous stems, only a few centimeters across and plant looks more like some non-cactus succulent than a cactus.
Ariocarpus fissuratus K.Schum. in Engl. & Prantl: Geophyte plant that produces a star-shaped rosette of fleshy, deltoid to hemispheric tubercles which are coarsely rugose and characteristically deeply fissured on either side of the central areolar groove.
Ariocarpus fissuratus f. aurea: Mutant completely lacking chlorophyll pigment. The result is a completely yellow .
Ariocarpus fissuratus var. lloydii (Rose) W.T.Marshall: has higher, somewhat rounded and more convex stem appearing above the ground.
Ariocarpus fissuratus var. lloydii f. aurea hort.: Mutant completely lacking chlorophyll pigment. The result is a completely yellow or orangish plant.
Ariocarpus fissuratus var. lloydii f. cristata hort.: crested form.
Ariocarpus fissuratus var. lloydii cv. latus
Ariocarpus fissuratus f. monstruosus: It shows an abnormal, uncoordinated form of vegetative growth, with a multitude of condensed lateral proliferation, each areole originating a new stem only a few centimetres across.
- Ariocarpus fissuratus var. pailanus Halda
Ariocarpus fissuratus f. pectinatus hort.: has long areoles that stretch out to the full length of the tubercle and uncommon short pectinated spines already present in young specimens. Distribution: Only known from cultivated specimen.
Ariocarpus fissuratus f. rubra hort.: has notches ribs of a bright red colour due to the absence (or reduced production) of chlorophyll pigments.
Ariocarpus fissuratus cv. Godzilla: Odd plant with strongly structured surface and the deep colour, but greener or woollier plants are in the variation range of this cultivar.
Ariocarpus fissuratus cv. Godzilla (Cotton Flock Type): Very woolly form. The rough tubercles epidermis is almost concealed by the dense long hairs .
Ariocarpus fissuratus cv. Godzilla aurata
Ariocarpus fissuratus cv. Godzilla variegata
Ariocarpus fissuratus cv. Green Coral: this cultivar must be considered the next step of "Godzilla" with larger and longer green warts on the tubercles surface.
Ariocarpus intermedius (Backeb. & Kilian) M.Voldan: (A. fissuratus var. intermedius) intermediate form between Ariocarpus fissuratus and Ariocarpus lloydii.
Notes: Ariocarpus bravoanus clearly shows a close affinity to the previously described Ariocarpus fissuratus var. hintoniiSN|2073]]SN|2075]] that occurs approximately 75km further north, these two probably represent extremes of the same taxon.
Ariocarpus bravoanusSN|2075]]SN|2073]] is particularly interesting as it represents a link between the former subgenera Ariocarpus with an undivided or fully divided areole and Roseocactus subgenus with the areolar fissure.
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
2) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey "The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass" Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
3) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006.
4) Sotomayor, M., Fitz Maurice, B, Gómez-Hinostrosa, C., Fitz Maurice, W.A., Smith, M. & Hernández, H.M. 2013. Ariocarpus bravoanus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 June 2015.
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Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus subs. bravoanus (Ariocarpus bravoanus) Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
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Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus subs. bravoanus (Ariocarpus bravoanus) Photo by: Cactus Art
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Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus subs. bravoanus (Ariocarpus bravoanus) Photo by: Cactus Art
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- This species start blooming when still young. The fist flower is larger than the plants body. (Ariocarpus bravoanus) Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
Cultivation and Propagation: Need regular water in summer but very prone to rot other times of the year, Moderate water in spring an autumn, no water in winter. Full sun, half shade.
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