Badmin: Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Homalocephala | image = Homalocephala_texensis.jpg | kingdom = Plantae | family = Cactaceae | subfamily = Cactoideae | tribe = Cacteae | genus = '''Homalocephala''' | authority = (Engelmann) Berger (1926) | notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). Lodé resurrects this genus for the former Echinocactus texensis based on molecular data showing it is closer to Ferocactus than to Echinocactus s.s. }} == Etymology == The name is derive..."

2026-04-07T13:12:05Z

Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Homalocephala | image = Homalocephala_texensis.jpg | kingdom = Plantae | family = Cactaceae | subfamily = Cactoideae | tribe = Cacteae | genus = '''Homalocephala''' | authority = (Engelmann) Berger (1926) | notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). Lodé resurrects this genus for the former Echinocactus texensis based on molecular data showing it is closer to Ferocactus than to Echinocactus s.s. }} == Etymology == The name is derive..."

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{{Taxobox
| name = Homalocephala
| image = Homalocephala_texensis.jpg
| kingdom = [[Plantae]]
| family = [[Cactaceae]]
| subfamily = [[Cactoideae]]
| tribe = [[Cacteae]]
| genus = '''Homalocephala'''
| authority = (Engelmann) Berger (1926)
| notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). Lodé resurrects this genus for the former Echinocactus texensis based on molecular data showing it is closer to Ferocactus than to Echinocactus s.s.
}}

== Etymology ==
The name is derived from the Greek ''homalos'' (even/level) and ''kephale'' (head), referring to the characteristic flattened, disk-like appearance of the plant's apex.

== Description ==
'''Homalocephala''' is a monotypic genus consisting of a very robust, low-growing, and slow-growing cactus.
* '''Stems''': Solitary, globose to strongly flattened (discoid), often partially buried in the soil. It can reach up to 30 cm in diameter but rarely exceeds 15-20 cm in height. The epidermis is thick, leathery, and dark green.
* '''Ribs''': Numerous (typically 13 to 27), prominent, and acute.
* '''Spines''': Extremely strong, thick, and annulated (ringed). The central spine is particularly large, flattened, and downward-pointing. These spines are famous for being able to puncture heavy leather and even horse hooves.
* '''Flowers''': Diurnal and self-sterile, appearing from the woolly center of the apex. They are funnel-shaped, fragrant, and have elegantly fringed petals. Colors range from pale pink to white, consistently featuring a deep magenta or reddish throat.
* '''Fruits''': Globose, fleshy, and brilliant red when ripe. They are covered in white wool and thin scales, eventually drying out.
* '''Seeds''': Relatively large (for the tribe), black, and smooth.

== Habitat ==
The genus grows in a wide variety of environments, including dry grasslands, prairies, and rocky limestone hills in the Chihuahuan Desert. It is remarkably hardy, capable of withstanding both extreme drought and significant frost.

== Distribution ==
* '''USA''': Southeastern New Mexico, southwestern Oklahoma, and throughout most of Texas.
* '''Mexico''': Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas.

== Species ==
Following the classification of Lodé (2015), the genus is monotypic:

* [[Homalocephala texensis]] (Type species)

== Taxonomy ==
Traditionally classified as ''Echinocactus texensis'', recent molecular phylogenetic studies (Vázquez-Sánchez et al., 2013) have demonstrated that this species is not closely related to the "true" ''Echinocactus'' (like ''E. platyacanthus''). Instead, it represents a distinct and ancient lineage within the North American Cacteae, more closely related to the ''Ferocactus'' and ''Leuchtenbergia'' clade. Lodé maintains it as a separate genus to reflect this evolutionary distance.

[[Category:Cactaceae]]
[[Category:Cactoideae]]
[[Category:Cacteae]]

Homalocephala - Revision history