Acanthocephala
| Acanthocephala | |
|---|---|
| File:Acanthocephala.jpg | |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Family | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily | Cactoideae |
| Tribe | Notocacteae |
| SubTribe | |
| Genus | Acanthocephala |
| Species | |
| Notes | Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015–2019). |
Etymology
The name Acanthocephala derives from the Greek words akantha (spine) and kephale (head), referring to the dense spination covering the plant body.
Description
Acanthocephala is a genus of small, usually solitary cacti, globose to somewhat elongated, with a depressed apex. The ribs are numerous (30–60), low, and divided into spirally arranged tubercles.
Spines are very numerous (25–60), small but stiff and dense, typically white to yellow.
Flowers are diurnal, small, apical, and funnel-shaped to campanulate, with a short tube. They range in color from greenish and yellowish to orange or red. The flowers are self-fertile and mainly pollinated by insects.
Fruits are spherical, densely bristly, and often dry on the plant without opening. Seeds are small, elongated, black, and strongly warty.
Habitat
The genus grows in grasslands and rocky environments, often in crevices or among moss, from low elevations up to about 1500 m.
Distribution
- Brazil – Rio Grande do Sul
Species
The genus includes the following species:
Notes
- Originally described by Backeberg (1938).
- The name Brasilicactus was historically used but is now considered illegitimate.
- The genus has been included in broader concepts of Notocactus and Parodia, but is maintained as distinct in this system.
- The name may cause confusion with similarly named organisms outside botany.
