Acharagma roseanum Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
(SB459 Higueras, Coah. Mexico) This uncommon cactus, has tiny, soft egg-shaped stems and will slowly form small clusters with dense golden spines. The flowers appear at the stem apexes and are cream to pink with bronze-rose midveins.
Origin and Habitat: Mexico: mountains of south-eastern Coahuila and adjacent Nuevo León (extent of occurrence less than 6 km²).
Altitude: It grows at elevations between 1100 and 2100 metres above sea level.
Habitat and Ecology: It grows on rocky limestone hills in xerophytic shrubland together with Mammillaria carretiiSN|9015]]SN|9040]], Mammillaria candidaSN|9040]]SN|9015]] v. estanzuelensis, Astrophytum capricorneSN|3564]]SN|3564]], Echinocereus conglomeratusSN|7817]]SN|7820]], Echinocereus stramineusSN|7820]]SN|7817]], Opuntia microdasysSN|15506]]SN|15506]] and Yucca thompsonianaSN|27876]]SN|27876]]. This species is severely fragmented (the subsp. galeanense is very disjunct) and there is continuing decline in the quality of the habitat due to overgrazing by goats.
Synonyms:
See all synonyms of Acharagma roseanum
back
Accepted name in llifle Database:Acharagma roseanum (Boed.) E.F.AndersonCact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 71(6): 323. 1999 [24 Nov 1999]Synonymy: 7
Accepted name in llifle Database:Acharagma roseanum subs. galeanense D.R.HuntCactaceae Syst. Init. 14: 7. 2002 [Oct 2002]Synonymy: 5
back
Description: Acharagma roseanum, often misspelled: "roseana" is a small clumping plant with bronze-rose coloured flowers at the stem tips. Two subspecies are recognized, the nominate form and subsp. galeanense (Haugg) D.R.Hunt.
Note: Acharagma is a genus formed by only two small species of cacti: Acharagma roseana and Acharagma aguirreana from northern Mexico. This plants previously classificated as Escobaria are instead related to Pediocactus and Lophophora, DNA sequence clearly support the hypothesis that Acharagma is a distinct ‘good’ genus not closely related to Escobaria.
Habit: Small, soft bodied cacti. They are usually solitary but sometimes forming small clusters with age.
Stem: Up to 6 cm tall, up to 5 cm in diameter.
Ribs: The ribs have tubercles, with ungrooved areoles.
Spines: 4 to 6 central spines; 15 to 30 radials; whitish-yellow to rich gold coloured.
Roots: Thick tap root.
Flowers: The flowers are at the stem tips, and range from pink with bronze-rose coloured midveins to cream-yellowish, 2 cm in diameter.
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Acharagma roseanum group
- Acharagma roseanum (Boed.) E.F.Anderson: has tiny, soft egg-shaped stems from a thick tap root and will slowly form small clusters with dense golden spines. Flowers are cream to pink with bronze-rose midveins.
- Acharagma roseanum subs. galeanense D.R.Hunt: has cylindrical stems up to 6 centimetres tall, with central spines almost indistinguishable from the radials. Spines total 30. Distribution: Galeana, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
2) Nathaniel Lord Britton, Joseph Nelson Rose “Cactaceae: Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family” vol. 4 The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington 1923
3) 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
4) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
5) Fitz Maurice, B, Sotomayor, M., Fitz Maurice, W.A., Hernández, H.M. & Smith, M. 2013. Acharagma roseanum. In: IUCN 2013. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species." Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 February 2014.
Acharagma roseanum Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli Acharagma roseanum Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli A. roseana SB277 Los Imagines, Saltillo, Coah. Mx. Photo by: Cactus Art Acharagma roseanum Photo by: Cactus Art Acharagma roseanum Photo by: Cactus Art Acharagma roseanum Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli Acharagma roseanum Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli Acharagma roseanum Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli Cultivation and Propagation: Very slow growing. Because of the tap root they are very rot prone, so use highly gritty compost with much drainage and water regularly in summer, but do not overwater, it prefer a completely dry place during winter. An unheated greenhouse would be perfect. It can survive low temperatures (appr. -7°C). Full sun to light shade.
Propagation:: Easy to propagate from seed or (rarely) cuttings if available.
Your Photos
by Cactus Art