Biology:Acharagma aguirreanum

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Short description: Species of cactus

Acharagma aguirreanum
Acharagma aguirreanum 01.jpg
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Acharagma
Species:
A. aguirreanum
Binomial name
Acharagma aguirreanum
(Glass & R.A.Foster) Glass
Synonyms[2]
  • Escobaria aguirreana (Glass & R.C.Foster) N.P.Taylor
  • Glass & R.A.Foster Gymnocactus aguirreanus

Acharagma aguirreanum is a critically endangered microendemic cactus. It has a range of about one square kilometer in the calcareous semi-desert of the Sierra de la Paila in Coahuila, Mexico. Its population is estimated at less than 1000 individuals. Its only major threat is illegal collecting.

Description

Acharagma aguirreanum usually grows singly with a spherical to depressed spherical, soft plant body. It is medium green to purple in color and grows up to 5 centimeters high and 5 to 7 centimeters in diameter. The fleshy warts are somewhat flexible and grow up to 0.5 centimeters in size. Two or more central spines are formed that are difficult to distinguish from the marginal spines. The 13 to 16 marginal spines are often in two rows and are 0.8 to 1.5 centimeters long.

The yellowish to reddish yellow flowers are up to 1.8 centimeters long and up to 2 centimeters in diameter. The greenish-purple fruits are up to 1.2 centimeters long and up to 0.35 centimeters in diameter.[3]

Distribution

Acharagma aguirreanum is widespread in Mexico in the state of Coahuila at the western end of the Sierra de la Paila.

Taxonomy

It was first described as Gymnocactus aguirreanus in 1972 by Charles Edward Glass and Robert Alan Foster.[4] The specific epithet aguirreanum honors the Mexican cactus specialist Gustavo Aguirre Benaides from Parras de la Fuente. Charles Edward Glass placed the species in the genus Acharagma in 1997. Other nomenclature synonyms are Thelocactus aguirreanus (Glass & R.A.Foster) Bravo (1980) and Escobaria aguirreana (Glass & R.A.Foster) N.P.Taylor (1983).

References

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q5484690 entry