Pereskiopsis
| Pereskiopsis | |
|---|---|
| File:Pereskiopsis porteri.jpg | |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Family | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily | Opuntioideae |
| Tribe | Cylindropuntieae |
| SubTribe | |
| Genus | Pereskiopsis |
| Species | |
| Notes | Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). The genus is accepted as distinct within Opuntioideae. |
Etymology
The name means "similar to Pereskia", referring to the superficial resemblance between the two genera.
Description
Pereskiopsis is a genus of shrubby to tree-like cacti with leafy stems and typical opuntioid features.
- Habit: Irregularly branched shrubs or small trees, sometimes forming a trunk with bark in mature plants.
- Stems: Cylindrical, not segmented.
- Leaves: Usually persistent, fleshy, variable in shape (elliptical, lanceolate, spatulate), with a short petiole.
- Areoles: Rounded, woolly, bearing glochids.
- Spines: Usually present, acicular; sheath absent.
- Flowers: Diurnal or sometimes nocturnal, rotate, typical of Opuntioideae; yellow, pink, orange or red.
- Fruits: Small, obovoid to pear-shaped, fleshy, with areoles bearing wool, glochids, and small leaves.
- Seeds: Discoid, hairy, with a whitish appearance due to a sclerotic aril.
Habitat
The genus grows in arid to semi-arid environments, including deserts, coastal areas, dry plains, and deciduous forests, often among shrubs. It is frequently difficult to detect in habitat due to its resemblance to surrounding vegetation.
Altitude range: from about 10 m up to 2100 m.
Distribution
- Central America and Mexico:
Guatemala (El Progreso, Santa Rosa, Zacapa), Mexico (Baja California, Campeche, Chiapas, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Jalisco, México, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Sinaloa, Sonora, Veracruz, Yucatán)
Taxonomy
The genus Pereskiopsis was established by Britton & Rose (1907).
Although superficially similar to Pereskia, it differs significantly by the presence of glochids, typical opuntioid flowers, and seeds with a sclerotic aril.
Molecular studies (Butterworth & Wallace 2005; Griffith & Porter 2009; Nyffeler & Eggli 2010) confirm its placement within Opuntioideae and its distinction from Pereskia.
According to Joël Lodé (2015), the genus is monophyletic and taxonomically valid.
Species
Following the classification of Joël Lodé (2015).
- Pereskiopsis aquosa
- Pereskiopsis blakeana
- Pereskiopsis diguettii
- Pereskiopsis kellermannii
- Pereskiopsis porteri
- Pereskiopsis rotundifolia
Notes
- Despite the presence of leaves, the genus belongs to Opuntioideae due to the presence of glochids and seed structure.
- Often confused with Pereskia, but clearly distinct both morphologically and phylogenetically.
- Represents a transitional morphological form within the cactus family.
