Gymnocalycium
| Gymnocalycium | |
|---|---|
| File:Gymnocalycium baldianum.jpg | |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Family | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily | Cactoideae |
| Tribe | Cereeae |
| SubTribe | Trichocereinae |
| Genus | Gymnocalycium |
| Species | |
| Notes | Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015), based on the revisions by the AGG (Arbeitsgruppe Gymnocalycium). |
Etymology
The name is derived from the Greek gymnos (naked) and kalyx (bud/chalice), referring to the flower buds which are completely devoid of hair or spines, featuring only overlapping scales.
Description
Gymnocalycium consists of globose to shortly cylindrical cacti, mostly solitary but occasionally clustering.
- Stems: Typically flattened-globose, ranging from grey-green to dark brownish or purplish. Ribs are usually divided into prominent tubercles, often with a characteristic "chin" shape below the areoles.
- Flowers: Diurnal and self-sterile, appearing near the apex. They are funnel-shaped to bell-shaped, in colors ranging from white and cream to pink, red, and occasionally yellow (G. uruguayense).
- Pericarpel: Characteristically naked, covered only with broad, rounded scales.
- Fruits: Globose to spindle-shaped, fleshy, and dehiscent (splitting) longitudinally when ripe.
- Seeds: Highly variable, used as a primary basis for subgeneric classification (e.g., Macrosemineum, Microsemineum, Gymnocalycium, Muscosemineum).
Habitat
Widely distributed in diverse habitats including grasslands (pampas), rocky outcrops, and dry woodlands (chaco). They grow from sea level up to 3500 m in the Andes.
Distribution
- South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul), Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Species and Subspecies
Following the detailed assessment by Lodé (2015), 65 species and 43 subspecies are recognized:
- Gymnocalycium alboareolatum
- Gymnocalycium amerhauseri
- Gymnocalycium andreae
- Gymnocalycium anisitsii
- Gymnocalycium baldianum
- Gymnocalycium bayrianum
- Gymnocalycium berchtii
- Gymnocalycium bodenbenderianum
- Gymnocalycium borthii
- Gymnocalycium bozsingianum
- Gymnocalycium bruchii
- Gymnocalycium buenekeri
- Gymnocalycium calochlorum
- Gymnocalycium capillense
- Gymnocalycium carminanthum
- Gymnocalycium castellanosii
- Gymnocalycium chacoense
- Gymnocalycium chiquitanum
- Gymnocalycium denudatum
- Gymnocalycium erinaceum
- Gymnocalycium eurypleurum
- Gymnocalycium esperanzae
- Gymnocalycium fischeri
- Gymnocalycium gibbosum
- Gymnocalycium glaucum
- Gymnocalycium horstii
- Gymnocalycium hossei
- Gymnocalycium hyptiacanthum
- Gymnocalycium jochumii
- Gymnocalycium kieslingii
- Gymnocalycium kroenleinii
- Gymnocalycium kuehhasii
- Gymnocalycium leptanthum
- Gymnocalycium mackieanum
- Gymnocalycium marsoneri
- Gymnocalycium mesopotamicum
- Gymnocalycium mihanovichii
- Gymnocalycium monvillei
- Gymnocalycium mostii
- Gymnocalycium neuhuberi
- Gymnocalycium nigriareolatum
- Gymnocalycium obductum
- Gymnocalycium ochoterenae
- Gymnocalycium oenanthemum
- Gymnocalycium paediophilum
- Gymnocalycium paraguayense
- Gymnocalycium pflanzii
- Gymnocalycium pinalii
- Gymnocalycium platense
- Gymnocalycium pugionacanthum
- Gymnocalycium quehlianum
- Gymnocalycium ragonesei
- Gymnocalycium reductum
- Gymnocalycium ritterianum
- Gymnocalycium robustum
- Gymnocalycium roseiflorum
- Gymnocalycium saglionis
- Gymnocalycium schickendantzii
- Gymnocalycium schroederianum
- Gymnocalycium spegazzinii
- Gymnocalycium stellatum
- Gymnocalycium stenopleurum
- Gymnocalycium striglianum
- Gymnocalycium stuckertii
- Gymnocalycium taningaense
- Gymnocalycium terweemeanum
- Gymnocalycium tillianum
- Gymnocalycium vatteri (Often treated as subsp. of ochoterenae, but Lodé lists separately)
- Gymnocalycium uebelmannianum
Taxonomy
The genus is remarkably well-defined by its naked floral tube. Lodé maintains the AGG classification which emphasizes seed groups (sections) as the most reliable indicator of evolutionary relationships within the genus. While many commercial names exist, Lodé focuses on biologically distinct entities.
