Cactus Explorer 18 - Complete

The
Cactus Explorer
The first free on-line Journal for Cactus and Succulent Enthusiasts
1 Melocactus matanzanus
2 Discocactus petr-halferi
Number 18 3 Loxanthocereus xylorhizus
ISSN 2048-0482 4 Echinofossulocactus

April 2017 5 Gymnocalycium sp. nov.
The Cactus Explorer ISSN 2048-0482
IN THIS EDITION
Number 18 April 2017
Regular Features Articles

Introduction 3 Discocactus zehntneri ssp. petr-halferi 17
News and Events 4 Travel with the Cactus Expert (17) 21
In the Glasshouse 8 Habitat of Melocactus matanzanus 27
Journal Roundup 10 Opuntia gilvescens - A forgotten Taxon 38
On-line Journals 11 Historical records of Opuntia fragilis 41
The Love of Books 14 Taxing Taxonomy - Hunt and Lodé 42
Succulents on a Plate 15 Gymnocalycium ponomarevae sp. nov. 44
Society Pages 75 Elko County, Nevada throughout the year 54
Plants and Seeds for Sale 80 Field Observations on Echinofossulocactus
Books for Sale 87 sulphureus 61
Resources in the CSSA Archives 79
Cover Picture: Melocactus matanzanus in habitat in Cuba. Photograph by Jose Miguel Acuña
Guerra. See page 27.
The No.1 source for on-line information about cacti and succulents is http://www.cactus-mall.com
The best on-line library of succulent literature can be found at:
https://www.cactuspro.com/biblio/en:accueil
Invitation to Contributors
Please consider the Cactus Explorer as the place to publish your articles. We welcome
contributions for any of the regular features or a longer article with pictures on any aspect of
cacti and succulents. The editorial team is happy to help you with preparing your work. Please
send your submissions as plain text in a ‘Word’ document together with jpeg or tiff images with
the maximum resolution available.
A major advantage of this on-line format is the possibility of publishing contributions quickly
and any issue is never full! We aim to publish your article quickly and the copy deadline is just a
few days before the publication date. There will usually be three issues per year, published when
sufficient material is available. Please note that advertising and links are free and provided for
the benefit of readers. Adverts are placed at the discretion of the editorial team, based on their
relevance to the readership.
Publisher: The Cactus Explorers Club, Briars Bank, Fosters Bridge, Ketton, Stamford, PE9 3BF U.K.
The Cactus Explorer is available as a PDF file downloadable from www.cactusexplorers.org.uk
The Editorial Team:
Organiser:Graham Charles graham.charles@btinternet.com
Paul Hoxey paul@hoxey.com This issue published on
Zlatko Janeba desert-flora@seznam.cz 18th April 2017
Martin Lowry m.lowry@hull.ac.uk
Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors, and not necessarily those of the editorial team.
©The Cactus Explorer may be freely distributed whilst the copyright of the text and pictures remains with the
authors and photographers. Permission is required for any use other than reading, printing or storage.
2
ISSN 2048-0482 The Cactus Explorer
INTRODUCTION
The Year Ahead The German Cactus Society, the DKG, is to be

While preparing the short article about congratulated on making scans of Friedrich
Loxanthocereus xylorhizus, I found myself Ritter’s diaries available on the web. He was, for
pondering the meaning of rarity. Some plants are me, the greatest cactus explorer and these diaries
rare in the wild, usually because they have a will reveal valuable information. You can
very restricted distribution or are adversely download them from
affected by human activity. Rarity in cultivation http://www.dkg.eu/cs/index.pl?navid=Ritter_Tag
can be because the plant is not suitable for ebuecher_1322&sid=c
glasshouse culture, difficulties in growing it or There is a good assortment of topics in this
simply unpopularity. edition including the description of a new
I am always interested in unpopular plants Gymnocalycium name. As you know, I prefer a
because there is often so much more to learn wide concept of species so I doubt if this taxon
about them. Some popular genera have been will be accepted as distinct. However, I feel that
studied so much that enthusiasts end up looking authors should have the opportunity to present
for tiny differences between plants resulting in their case for a plant they consider warrants a
superfluous new names being created. new name so I am grateful to Victor for offering
his article to the Cactus Explorer.
My interest in books about succulents has
expanded my interest in the plants even further. I recently attended the new-look AGM of the
An increasing number of books and journals are BCSS at Leicester. It was a very enjoyable event
available online which appears to have reduced with two interesting talks. Diane Ortolani told us
the price of buying the originals. I still think about the Jardin Exotique at Monaco, including
there is something special about consulting the the latest news of the exciting development of a
actual volume, rather than just an image on a botanical centre near to the gardens. Following
computer screen, so I am pleased that reducing the shortened AGM business, Paul Rees
prices make some rarer books more affordable. described his trip to South Africa. The BCSS did
well to develop this event into one with a wider
Even so, some books, especially those with appeal and I hope that it will continue to attract a
fine illustrations, are unaffordable. Sometimes, good attendance.
there are only a few illustrations concerning
succulents in a volume so an alternative is to buy I am sad to have to report the deaths of some
single plates. These can be framed and make well-known cactophiles. Here, in the UK, we
attractive decoration. I am starting a new feature mourn the passing of Daphne Pritchard and John
‘Succulents on a Plate’ in this issue featuring Cox, whilst far away in Chile, I was shocked to
examples of antique succulent illustrations. hear that Ricardo Keim had been killed on a road
near his home.
I am very pleased that David Hunt has agreed
to allow the Cactus Explorer to distribute Another sad event was the fire that badly
his online newsletter Huitzilopochtlia. For damaged Alston Hall, near Preston, a Victorian
Mammillaria fans, this is a great read and now building with fond memories of attending the
you can download all the issues free from Northern Area Weekend.
http://www.cactusexplorers.org.uk/Huitzilopoch As the season gets underway, there are lots of
tlia_home.htm events to entertain us. You can find information
on the following pages and the first two I look
If you have not already told me and would forward to are the Spalding Cactus Mart on
Saturday 22nd April and the Mammillaria
like to be advised when the next issue of the
Society meeting at Wisley the day after.
Cactus Explorer is available for down-
load, please send me your E-mail address to Graham Charles
be added to the distribution list.
3
NEWS AND EVENTS

A. Castellanos & H. Lelong

Publications devoted to cacti
This, the second e-book (416 pages)
published by Au Cactus Francophone is
devoted to articles by Castellanos and
Lelong. The introduction presents the life of
both authors who were husband and wife.
After the series of articles, some original
pictures by Castellanos are reproduced.
This very useful reference for Argentinian
cacti can be downloaded (76Mbyte) from
https://www.cactuspro.com/biblio_fichiers/p
df/KieslingRoberto/CastellanosLelong.pdf
Bradleya Index
An index to Bradleya
1–34 has been
compiled by Roy
Mottram and can be
downloaded as a
searchable PDF file
www.cactusexplorers.org.uk/Explorer17/Bra
dleya Index 1 to 34.pdf
Thank you Roy!
Cactáceas y Suculentas
Mexicanas
The Mexican journal has been published
since 1955 with the aim of sharing knowledge
about succulent plant families, especially the
Cactaceae, and to promote interest and
research on different aspects of these amazing
plants.
The journal is available on line and free at:
web.ecologia.unam.mx/cactsucmex/
Any comments please contact: Dra. Mariana
Rojas-Aréchiga (mrojas@ecologia.unam.mx)
4
Number 18 April 2017 ISSN 2048-0482 The Cactus Explorer
BCSS Spalding Branch
Cactus & Succulent

Plant Sale
Saturday 22nd April 2017

10.00am to 3.00pm
Holbeach Community Centre,

Fishpond Lane,
Holbeach, Lincs, PE12 7DE U.K.
South East England An impressive list of growers
CACTUS MART will be selling their produce, some
Saturday April 29th 2017 we rarely see at sales like this:
Swalecliffe Community Centre
19 St Johns Road Ralph Northcott, Cactus Shop
Bryan & Linda Goodey, Southfield Nurseries,
Whitstable CT5 2QU Shaun Biggadyke
Open from 10am until 3pm Rob Stevenson
Admission £1, Children free. Lily Cartier & Philip Greswell
Refreshments all day Derek Bowdery, Eau Brink Cacti,
Stuart Riley, Plantlife Nursery
Contact: Dave Appleton
Richard & Wendy Edginton, Seedling Cacti
at davejappleton@hotmail.com Doug Sizmur, Kent Cacti
Gordon & Joan Foster, Oak Dene Nurseries
Friedrich Ritter’s Diaries

Keith Larkin, Keith’s Cactus Books
David Neville
Tony Irons
The German Cactus Society, the DKG, has Graham Charles
scanned Ritter’s diaries and made them Cliff Thompson
available for download from:
http://www.dkg.eu/cs/index.pl?navid=Ritter_T Free admission Ample free parking
agebuecher_1322&sid=c
Refreshments available all day
They are full of fascinating information but
reading his hand writing in German is a For full details visit
challenge so the DKG hopes to eventually www.spalding.bcss.org.uk
publish transcripts.
5
The Cactus Explorer ISSN 2048-0482 Number 18 April 2017
The Naturalist’s Travel Page

https://thetravelingnaturalist.org
Our website has free-to-use online talks for your suc-

culent society’s meetings - from many locations
around the world. We also have illustrated trip reports
and summaries of South African succulent-rich guest
farms. Also, a short course on field photography. We
are available to help in natural history travel and tour
planning.
Cactus and Succulent Society of America Huitzilopchtlia downloads

37th Biennial Convention For Mammillaria fans, this PDF occasional
newsletter, published by
26–30th July 2017
David Hunt, is a great
Celebrating the Beauty of the Desert
read and now you can
The Tempe Mission Palms Hotel
download all the issues
Tempe, Phoenix, Arizona USA
free from:
http://www.cactusexplorers.org.uk/Huitzilop
Speakers from around the world
ochtlia_home.htm
Plant & pottery sales, auctions and field trips
Details at cssaconvention.com
CSSA Archives
Cactus Tattoos The Cactus and Succulent Society of America
has a long and distinguished history.
Chuck Staples, CSSA Historian, tells us
about the valuable contents of the Society’s
archives on page 79.
Particuarly useful will be the comprehensive
lists of contents of the journal and Haseltonia.
The Zone 6 Show

Saturday 3rd June 2017
Great Missenden Memorial Centre,
Link Road, Great Missenden,
Bucks, HP16 9AE.
Today’s fashion for body art gives a new 13:00 until 16:30
opportunity for cactophiles. Are these Sales: Plantlife; William’s Cactus
tattoos the first to feature cacti? Admission: £2
Thanks to Andrew Gdaniec for sharing (Exhibitors and under 16s free entry)
his new artwork with us. Download Schedule
6
The Mammillaria Society BCSS Oxford Branch Show

Annual Meeting with the Haworthia Society
RHS Wisley,
Hillside Centre Saturday 12th August 2017
Woking, GU23 6QB 10.00 – 15.00
10.00 – 16.30 Old Mill Hall,
Grove nr. Wantage OX12 7LB
Two talks, Plants for Sale and
Light refreshments.
Refreshments
Plants for sale by
Craig Barber – William’s Cactus;
Daniel Jackson – Ottershaw;
Tephrocactus Study Group Branch Plant Sales
Annual Meeting Ample free car parking in front of hall
Sunday 14th May 2017
Coddington Village Hall, Main Street, Organiser: Bill Darbon
Coddington, Newark NG24 2PN
Show Schedule
Free Admission. 10:30 for 11.00am start
Entry Form
Plant Sales and talks Map of Show Venue
Tea/Coffee provided. Pub lunch nearby. Directions for getting to the show
www.tephro.com
7
IN THE GLASSHOUSE
Loxanthocereus xylorhizus
Graham Charles discusses a distinct cereoid cactus from Peru. It is very localised
in habitat and rare in cultivation.
The genus Loxanthocerus Backeberg was
included in Cleistocactus in the New Cactus
Photo: G. Charles
Lexicon but recent molecular studies suggest
that it should be recognised as distinct, and
different from both Cleistocactus and the more-
closely related genus Borzicactus.
Ritter accepted the genus Loxanthocereus and
decribed L. xylorhizus in his book Kakteen in
Südamerika Band 4 (1981). He had first
collected it in 1953 as FR321 “High mountains,
North of Chosica, Lima, Peru. Rare”. The
species name refers to the woody root of the
plant.
The well known locality is at about 1000m in
the Quebrada California, south of Chosica in
the Rimac Valley. This habitat was visited by
Martin Lowry et al. in October 2002
(BLMT452.01) and by Paul Hoxey in July 2008
(PH773.03). It is quite near to Lima and the
area has been subject to considerable urban
development. I am told that the place where
Martin went is now a private housing estate
and it is not known if any plants are still
growing there.
The locality is very arid but may only
receive occasional mists and rainfall is rare. Fig.1 Loxanthocereus xylorhizus BLMT452.01
However, the plants had flowered and some grown from seed and flowering at 25cm tall
seed was found. I have a number of seedlings and an age of about 10 years.
from this collection and one flowered for the Qu. California since he said that it was high
first time in 2016 (Fig.1). The plant is about mountains north of Chosica. I was interested to
25cm tall and about 10 years old. read the account of Holger Wittner (2013) who
In cultivation, this plant is slow growing climbed the mountains near Chosica. He
and sensitive to excess moisture at the roots. It reports finding a scattered population between
needs the brightest place available in order to 950 and 1300m. In 1996, Ostolaza (1996) had
develop its strong spination, and the seedling visited California and reported less than 50
that flowered was on the top shelf of the individuals in a disturbed environment. He
glasshouse, a place where all the available sun declared the plant to be Critically Endangered.
can be enjoyed. There was a good picture of a flowering
This is a rare plant in cultivation and may plant (in habitat?), published as part of an
also be rare in habitat. Ritter’s location is not identification competition, in Cactus Adventures
8
Photo: P. Hoxey ISSN 2048-0482 The Cactus Explorer
Photo: P. Hoxey
Fig.2 Loxanthocereus xylorhizus PH773.03
Quebrada California, near Chosica, Río
Rímac, Peru. 990m July 2008.
78:31.
I am not aware of seeds of this plant ever
being available commercially, not even in
Ritter’s catalogues. I am hoping that another of
my seedlings will flower and give me the
chance to produce seeds in cultivation.
Acknowledgement
Thanks to Paul Hoxey for the use of his
pictures and information about the habitat.
References
OSTOLAzA, C. (1996) A Closer Look at the
Conservation Status of Cacti in the Vicinity
Fig.3 Loxanthocereus xylorhizus PH773.03
of Lima, Peru. British Cactus & Succulent
Quebrada California, near Chosica, Río
Journal 14(4):158–174.
Rímac, Peru. 990m July 2008.
WITTNER, H. (2013) Loxanthocereus xylorhizus —
ein Überlebenskünstler. Kakteen und andere
Sukkulenten 64(9): 239–246.
Graham Charles
9
JOURNAL ROUNDUP
Piante Grasse Special Cactaceae Systematics Initiatives 35
The latest edition of CSI was published in

December. It includes an account of the
consequences of the molecular study of
Copiapoa by Larridon et al. There are also notes
about Argentinian opuntias. Available by
subscription from David Hunt.
Sulcorebutias from the

Cordillera Mandinga
The latest special issue from the Italian
Society is a beautifully illustrated account of
searching for sulcorebutias in Bolivia. The
text is English as well as Italian, a welcome
addition that considerably adds to the book’s
international appeal.
There are many well-printed photographs
of the varied plants encountered during the
searches and examples in cultivation. They
illustrate the difficulty in applying names to The first Special issue of Kaktusy for 2017
these pretty plants which often have such describes the cacti of the Quebrada de
diverse appearance. Humahuaca in northern Argentina. This
remarkable valley has a wide range of genera,
Avaiable to non-members for 20€ many popular in cultivation. Text is Czech and
(including postage within Europe). Please there are many good pictures of the plants and
email segreteria.nazionale@aias.info for spectacular localities.
details of payment.
http://www.cs-kaktusy.cz/
GC
10
ON-LINE JOURNALS
On-line Journals for you to download free

Publishing journals on the web is now very popular. Creating them is a lot of work so perhaps
that is why some have ceased publication. Here are some links for you to download and enjoy.
Xerophilia
Issue 20 of Xerophilia appeared in April 2017. It is
published in English as well as the language of the
original article. The quality of the contents is varied and
impressive. There is lots to read in its 144 pages.
Contents include: Mammillaria bertholdii; Mysterious
cacti of Isla Pelicano & Isla Tiburon; Mammillaria
bombycina; Xero Arts; Small South Africans in the land
of cacti; The genus Monanthes; Notes on Tephrocactus
geometricus; Afriston Botanical Garden;
The magazine may be downloaded free as a pdf from
http://xerophilia.ro
Contact: xerophilia@xerophilia.ro
ECHINOCEREUS Online-Journal
The German language on-line journal for Echinocereus
lovers. The goals of this journal are to study the genus
Echinocereus, to publish articles about the continuous
research on these plants (classification, morphology,
evolution) as well as to protect the genus Echinocereus by
reproduction from seeds and distribution of the seedlings.
This issue, published in January 2017, is 274 pages
dedicated to Baja California. It covers not only
Echinocereus but also other cacti and places on this
remarkable peninsula.
The downloaded pdf file allows printing, but does not
permit copying of the content. For those of us who do not
understand German very well, the publishers also
provide a downloadable MS Word document of the text
making it possible to copy and paste it into a translation
program. This is a major benefit of online journals and I
thank them for this useful feature.
See website: www.echinocereus.eu
11
Sansevieria Online
The online journal for the growing number of
enthusiasts for this genus. A small group of
Sansevieria enthusiasts publish the first
Sansevieria online journal in German. They
welcome contributions on systematics,
morphology, physiology, evolution etc.
This issue includes: The inflorescence of
Sansevierias; a new cultivar: Sansevieria
cylindrica ‘Boncel’; Shield bugs (Pinnaspis
strachani) as companions of Sansevieria; Not
only sansevierias in the Botanical Garden of
the University of Potsdam: a plant paradise in
Welterbe "Park Sanssouci"; Flower pictures of
Sansevieria burmanica.
The next issue will be available on May 1st
2017 and there is a cumulative index already
published.
Download the PDF from www.sansevieria-
online.de where you can also find a special
issue containing field number lists and an
index to the journal.
Schütziana
The latest issue of Schütziana, the specialist on-
line journal for Gymnocalycium enthusiasts,
features:
Gymnocalycium friedrichii (Werderm.) Pažout ex
Schütz – Evaluation from a different perspective
Gymnocalycium bruchii (Spegazzini) Hosseus
subsp. deminii Gapon et Neuhuber
The text of this valuable publication is available
in English, German, Russian and Japanese.
The pictures and distribution maps give a clear
insight into the plants found in habitat and culture.
You can download free all the issues from:
www.schuetziana.org
12
Sukkulenten (formerly Avonia News)

Free German language on-line newsletter of
"Avonia", the quarterly journal of the German
Society for other Succulents.
From 2015, the on-line journal has been called
“Sukkulenten”
This issue discusses Quaqua and Lithops optica
Rubra
See website: www.fgas-sukkulenten.de
Annual seed list for members and much more.
Special interest groups for Aloe (incl. Haworthia
etc.), Ascleps, Euphorbia, Mesembs and Yucca/winter-
hardy Succulents.
For membership and further information contact:
Dr. Jörg Ettelt: Morgenstr. 72, D-59423 Unna,
praesident@fgas.sukkulenten.de or
Wilfried Burwitz: Postfach 100206, D-03002
Cottbus, geschaeftsstelle@fgas.sukkulenten.de
Succulentopi@
The 15th issue of this free online journal

appeared more than a year ago. I wonder why
no further issues have appeared. It would be a
great pity if this valuable publication ceased to
be published.
It was the first online journal published in
French. The quality is excellent in every respect.
Back issues are available as a free PDF
downloads from:
http://www.cactuspro.com/succulentopia
13
THE LOVE OF BOOKS

News of Recent Publications. A Reminder of Old Favourites.

This book documents the history of
cultivars, the way they have been produced
and the process of giving them names.
Succulent plant breeding in twelve plant
families is described and illustrated with good
quality pictures by the author and many other
contributors.
There is an extensive bibliography and a
comprehensive index.
With the increased popularity of hybrids
and cultivars, this book has arrived at a good
time. It is an interesting read and the author’s
style is entertaining and easy to follow.
Hardback with dust jacket, 235 x 285mm,
248 pages, with 473 colour photos and 24 B&W
line drawings.
Published by the BCSS and available for sale
at £35 (UK) or £38 overseas. See website
Faszination Echinocereen
Peter Hallmann
Succulents in cultivation
The German Cactus
— breeding new cultivars Society (DKG) has
Gordon D. Rowley been very active lately
It is remarkable that Gordon Rowley is still publishing its series of
writing books some years after his 90th books and this, the
birthday. He has long had an interest in latest, is the largest to
cultivars, believing that distinct forms of wild date with 320 pages
species are better treated as cultivars rather 17 x 24cm and 631
than being given botanical names. excellent colour
The cultivation of cacti and succulents has pictures. The text is
been dominated by species rather than German, but this is
artificially produced hybrids which are so largely a picture book
popular with gardeners growing other plants. with wonderful illustrations of plants in
Even so, there has been a long standing market cultivation and habitat.
for hybrid epicacti and the various series of Very good value at 10€ in Germany or 12€
echinopsis hybrids. The number of cultivars elsewhere but only available to members of the
and hybrids of other succulents has recently DKG, a good reason to join!
increased dramatically and many of these are
See website for details of how to order.
offered for sale from genera such as Echeveria,
Haworthia, Agave and Lithops. GC
14
SUCCULENTS ON A PLATE
Graham Charles begins a new regular feature about antique illustrations of succulents. The
first is a plate from Plantae selectae, one of the most beautiful of all botanical books, published
by Christoph Trew between 1750 and 1773.
Photo: G. Charles
Figure 1. Plate XXX from Plantae selectae, Figure 2. Ehret (1748) Plantae et papiliones
painted by Georgius Dionysius Ehret and de- rariores depictae et aeri, incisae a Georgio
scribed by Christophorus Jacobus Trew, 1752. Dionysio: t.2, as Cereus minor scandens poly-
gonus spinosissimus, flore purpureo.
The hand-coloured folio engraving in Figure
[Smaller, scandent, many-angled and very
1 was made from a copper plate. The overall
spiny cereus, with purple flower].
plate size is 298 x 440mm and is one of 100
plates published in Trew’s Plantae selectae. Lemaire.
The plant name on the plate is a pre- The artist, Ehret was a German botanist,
Linnaean phrase name: Cereus minimus best known for his illustrations. His first major
scandens polygonus spinosissimus flore purpureo. sale was through Christoph Jacob Trew, a
Linnaeus praised this work in a letter to Trew, doctor and botanist in Nuremberg, who
calling it one of the great miracles of the became his patron, and used many of Ehret’s
century. In his Species Plantarum, Linnaeus botanical illustrations in his own work. The
gave this plant the binomial name Cactus 1730s saw Ehret travel to Britain, where he was
flagelliformis, later to become Cereus introduced to Sir Hans Sloane and to Philip
flagelliformis Miller and eventually the name Miller, curator of the Chelsea Physic Garden;
we use today: Aporocactus flagelliformis he also spent time in the Netherlands in the
15
garden of George Clifford, a Director of the Figure 2, from which it has been horizontally
Dutch East India Company. There Ehret met flipped. The original is from Ehret's own 1748
Carl Linnaeus, then Clifford’s botanical work on rare plants & butterflies. Roy Mottram
curator, who was working towards his own reproduced this in CactusWorld 29(2): 89.
new system of botanical categorisation. (2011), and designated the plate as the
While Ehret’s early drawings were made on lectotype of the species. It was the one
both paper and vellum, his preferred media for illustration listed by Linnaeus which was
finished work became bodycolour (opaque readily recognisable as genuinely being of
watercolour) on vellum, influenced by time Aporocactus flagelliformis.
spent in Paris at the Jardin des Plantes in 1734. Also of interest is that in this earlier work,
His drawings for Plantae selectae had been Ehret's phrase name was "Cereus minor...."
acquired over a number of years by Trew, who (Lesser cereus); changed later by Trew to
then entrusted them to Johann Jacob Heid, an "Cereus minima..." (Least cereus).
engraver in Augsburg, to be prepared for I am grateful to Roy Mottram for his
publication. (Trew’s collection of drawings for contribution to the story of this historic plate.
Plantae selectae are now chiefly housed in the
University Library of Erlangen, Bavaria.) The Graham Charles
images that Trew chose to publish were those References
from plants recently introduced or then
EHRET, G.D. (1748) Plantae et papiliones rariores
unknown to the public such as the banana and
depictae et aeri incisae a Georgio Dionysio: t.1–
pineapple, neither of which had been tasted in
15 [–18]. Privately published, London.
Europe at that time.
MOTTRAM, R. (2011) The Rat’s Tail Cactus.
Roy Mottram pointed out to me this was not
CactusWorld 29(2): 89.
the first place where this image appeared. It
derives originally from the plate shown in
FREE download of The Chileans

Journal of South American cacti.
The Chileans started in Autumn 1965 as a the issues up to Number 51. These have now
study group for Neoporterianae. It was been processed with OCR to make the text
founded by John Donald, David Whiteley and searchable but please note that this process is
Harry Middleditch in consultation with not completely accurate. Issues from 52 to 73
Dodonaeus, a Belgian study group, and Dr. were produced from the original print files so
Priessnitz of Austria. the active text should be accurate.
The aim was to exchange information about I am also grateful to Chris Leather (who
cultivation and propagation, sharing photo- originally produced the print files for Nos. 72
graphs, and exchanging spare plants. & 73) for the originals of the illustrations from
The first ‘Bulletin’ was published as a sta- No. 52 onwards.
pled set of A4 sheets in March 1966. It did not Two indices were published and image
take long before the scope was extended to in- PDFs of these are available for download:
clude cacti from other South American coun- Index of Numbers 1 to 30
tries. Index of Numbers 31 to 51
Due to the failing health of Harry Middled- If you have not previously read any of The
itch, The Chileans Number 73 will be the last Chileans, I hope you will download some is-
issue to be published so membership of the sues and enjoy the contents. The translated ar-
organisation is closed. All editions are now ticles are particularly interesting.
available for free download as PDF files. Graham Charles
I am grateful to Paul Hoxey for PDF files of Chileans download home page
16
SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT

DISCOCACTUS ZEHNTNERI
SSP. PETR-HALFARII
Gerardus Olsthoorn tells us about a recently found Discocactus taxon which is still rare in
cultivation. It is disturbing to learn that so soon after its discovery, it is already under threat.
Photographs by the author unless otherwise stated.
1. Ecological observations in caatinga soil in which it can be compared
Discocactus zehntneri ssp. petr-halfarii grows with D. bahiensis which has the same habit,
in the municipality of Juazeiro, Bahia, beside whereas the other subspecies of D. zehntneri
the road BR 235 which goes from Juazeiro to grow on granite and sandstone outcrops (ssp.
Uaua, growing 26km east of Juazeiro. zehntneri) or sandstone outcrops and white
sand (ssp. boomianus). The form horstiorum
It consist of two small sub-populations, the even grows on iron ore rocks.
first one directly beside the road, the second
800m into the caatinga to the south. The plant In 2010, some 6km from this locality, we
grows in caatinga soil with accompanying could find a small population of D. bahiensis
cacti: Melocactus zehntneri; Cereus jamacaru; growing directly beside the road, which
Pilosocereus pachycladus ssp. pernambucoensis; during our 2014 visit had already diappeared.
Pilosocereus gounellei and Arrojadoa rhodantha. In the neighbourhood are several granite rock
outcrops which harbour only Pilosocereus
It differs from D. zehntneri ssp. zehntneri and gounellei populations.
D. zehntneri ssp. boomianus in growing directly
Fig.1 The disturbed habitat of Discocactus zehntneri ssp. petr-halfarii.
17
Fig.2 Discocactus zehntneri ssp. petr-halfarii. Fig.3 Discocactus zehntneri ssp. petr-halfarii.
Fig.4 Discocactus zehntneri ssp. petr-halfarii. Fig.5 Discocactus zehntneri ssp. petr-halfarii.
Fig.6 Discocactus zehntneri ssp. petr-halfarii at the type locality.
18
Fig.7 Excavations at the type locality. Fig.8 Plant damaged by excavations.

This whole area southeast of Juazeiro is
being developed into agricultural areas with
irrigation systems that make use of the water
resource of the nearby Rio São Francisco. The
main cultivation is sugar cane plantations.
During our 2010 visit we could observe
large sugar cane plantations 5km distant from
the Discocactus zehntneri ssp. petr-halferii
locality. The road at that time was a dirt road,
however, beside the road there was already
excavation activity on behalf of irrigation pipes
which already had destroyed several
discocactus plants (Figure 7). Fig.9 Plant flowering in cultivation.
On visiting the habit in 2014 the road had 2. Some taxonomic observations
been asfalted and a stretch of 50m beside the
road was being cleared of all vegetation This plant was described as Discocactus petr-
resulting in the destruction of all the halfarii. Directly after its description, Braun
discocactus plants in this stretch. (Figure 8). (2008) considered it a ssp. of D. bahiensis.
We did not look at the population in the With most other researchers of the Brazilian
interior of the caatinga during this visit, cacti it is more or less a consensus, however,
however, sugar cane plantations were already that it is related to D. zehntneri and not D.
less than 2km from the locality. bahiensis, and in 2015 Marianna Rodrigues
In the Boletin Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Santos made the adjustment in Phytotaxa
Cactaceae, August 2012, there is an article by reducing the plant to a ssp. of D. zehntneri
Joana B. Nascimento and Marcus Meiado based on its DNA analysis of the genus
describing the details of a study by the first Discocactus which she had made for her
author to be undertaken to determine doctoral thesis. Regrettably, this doctoral thesis
population dynamics of the species . After my has not been published so enabling it to be
visit in 2014, in correspondence with Marcus consulted publicly.
Meiado, he confirmed the continuation of this The facilities of genetic studies of the
study by Joana. Prelimenary counts gave the university UFSCAR, Sorocaba, under professor
number of 1945 individuals (Santos et al 2015 ). Evandro Marsolo Moraes is going to undertake
The results of population dynamics will be a new genetic study of Discocactus, which
published soon(M Meiado pers. comm.) currently suffers from lack of resolution in the
So the prospect for this population is not genetic studies, which was one of Marianna’s
very good and I don´t have any knowledge if problems (Marlon Machado, pers. comm.) so I
there is yet another population. This whole hope that this new study can make things
area is not protected in any sort of way so I clearer.
think it will be gone in the near future. There are reasons to believe that D. zehntneri
19
Photo: G. Charles
Photo: G. Charles
Fig.10 A young seedling of Discocactus zehntneri Fig.11 An older plant of Discocactus zehntneri ssp.
ssp. petr-halfarii flowering in a 10cm pot. petr-halfarii flowering in a 13cm pot.
ssp. petr-halfarii has some genetic influence of perhaps because they are so difficult to
D. bahiensis as it has characteristics of both, for cultivate. For me, It is the appearance of the
instance, the fact that it grows in caatinga soil flower buds which so quickly mature into
which is a typical trait of D. bahiensis. beautiful nocturnal sweet-smelling blooms
I would like to thank Marlon Machado and that I find so appealing. I dream of one day
Marcos Vinicius Meiado for the information being in their habitat to witness the plants
given by them. flowering which I understand is in
Gerardus Olsthoorn January/February. GC
I was very pleased to receive this References

information from Gerardus. Ever since I first BRAUN, P.J. & ESTEVES, E.E. (2008) Discocactus
saw this beautiful plant, I wanted to bahiensis subsp. petr-halfari (zachar)
introduce it to readers of the Cactus P.J.Braun & Esteves. Kakteen und andere
Explorer since it is almost unknown in Sukkulenten 59(7): 184.
cultivation in the UK. I was waiting for one
MENEzES, M.O.T. ET AL ( 2011 ) . Diversity and
of my seedlings to flower and this year one distribution of Cactaceae in Ceara state,
did (Figure 10). It first flowered when only northeastern Brasil. Bradleya 29 : 13–42.
about 8cm in diameter. I grow discocacti
grafted because this is the best way to ensure NASCIMENTO, J.P.B. ET AL.(2000) Dinâmica
survival in our inhospitably cold climate. populacional e comportamento germinativo
de Discocactus petr-halfari zachar
The plant was first described in 2008 in (Cactaceae), uma espécie da Caatinga
the Czech Journal Kaktusy having been criticamente ameaçada de extinção. Boletín
found in 2007 by Milan zachar, Miroslav de la Sociedad Latinoamericana y del Caribe de
Halfar and Werner van Heek. Cactáceas y otras Suculentas 9(2): 11–15.
I bought some seedlings at ELK from SANTOS, M.R. ET AL (2015) Taxonomic
Miroslav Halfar and grafted some on adjustments in Discocactus (Cactaceae).
trichocereus stocks. The ones I left on their Phytotaxa 207(2): 209–212.
own roots have also done well so perhaps zACHAR, M. (2008) Nový taxón z brazilskeho
this is one of the easier species to grow. I štátu Bahia – Discocactus petr-halfari M.
always thought it looked as if it was a form zachar spec. nova. Kaktusy XLIV(2): 43–47
of D. zehntneri, one of my favourite species.
zACHAR, M. (2008) Nowość z Brazylii -
Earlier this year I sowed seeds which Discocactus petr-halfari. Kaktusy i Inne 5(2):
germinated well and are growing steadily, 43−47.
some now grafted on pereskiopsis. There is
something really exotic about discocacti,
20
TRAVEL WITH THE CACTUS EXPERT (17)

Zlatko Janeba continues his popular series of articles about exploring the American South
West. Photographs by the author.
After a good sleep on the fresh mountain air we found some dozen pedios and many of
and, after a really rich breakfast, we got a them were in flower. The flower colour was
suggestion to visit an abandoned mine or a quite variable. We saw white, pinkish, dark
kind of a ghost town in the nearby mountains. pink and almost purple flowers there (Fig.2).
And since the dirt road was supposed to be
quite bad and still covered in snow (although
it was middle of May, well, exactly 13th May
2006) we all (Josef, Dave and his wife, me) took
off with my 4WD Subaru Outback. We took a
road marked as CO Rd 18 (Formile Rd).
After a while, when passing a montane
meadow at an elevation of some 3070 m, I
noticed some white and pinkish flowers next
to the road. We stopped immediately and, to
our surprise, the flowers belonged to
Pediocactus simpsonii (Fig.3). So we surveyed
the area a little bit and in a relatively short time Fig.1 The ruins of an old mine high in the moun-
tains of Colorado.
Fig.2 Pediocactus simpsonii with beautiful pink flowers at elevation over 3000m. Near Jefferson, Colorado.
21
Fig.3 A montane meadow with flowering Pediocactus simpsonii (over 3000m) The distant hills were still cov-
ered in snow even it was mid May. Near Jefferson, Colorado.
22
Fig.4 A habitat of Pediocactus simpsonii on the Fig.5 .Smaller flowering plant of Pediocactus simp-
open montane meadow with aspen groves and sonii hidden in vegetation (3000m elevation), near
wooden cabins near Jefferson, Colorado. Dave’s Jefferson, Colorado.
cabin is the rightmost one. A dream place for lover Fairplay and drove along U.S. Hwy 285 futher
of winter hardy pedios. South but we could not go for much longer.
The plants were quite large, up to 15cm in The meadows along the road were so enticing
diameter, depressed-ovoid. The dominant that we had to stop again somewhere.
features of the landscape were not only So, Northeast of Johnson Village we took the
wooden cabins but also old and magnificent forest service road 431 going to the west
Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine (Pinus towards East Buffalo Peak. There we stopped
aristata). This is the most populous of the three on the mountain meadow with open stands of
bristlecone pine species (the other two are P. pine trees at an elevation of some 2830m and
balfouriana and P. longaeva). again we encountered numerous P. simpsonii.
Then we reached the abandoned mine with At that place we saw plants with a prevailing
old wooden buildings that were falling apart, pinkish flower colour (Fig.6). The pedios were
even so, they were very photogenic (Fig.1). growing in clayish soil among tall grasses.
Nearby we could also observe a brook with We continued further and we made our next
several nicely created beaver dams, built by stop about 5 miles East of Johnson Village on
the North American beaver (Castor canadensis). U.S. Hwy 285 at an elevation of some 2770m.
We returned back to Dave’s cabin and got On both sides of the highway we observed yet
there some time before lunch was being another population of P. simpsonii and again in
served. Tempted to see more pedios we full flower (Figs.7&8). The flowers were either
rambled around and not too far from the cabin almost white or pinkish. As for the flowers it
we saw more of them (Fig.4). Pediocactus was really perfect timing and we enjoyed
simpsonii was really common there and while taking pictures a lot. Pedios grew in sparse
in flower, they were even quite easy to spot. grass cover on sunny spots among low pine
The smaller specimens often grow obscured by trees (Fig.9). We also saw Opuntia sp.,
other vegetation such as grasses and sagebrush Echinocereus viridiflorus with emerging flower
(Fig.5). On the way back we found some buds (Fig.10) and colonies of yuccas with long
pedios just several meters from Dave’s cabin. I and narrow leaves. Although in my notes it is
only wished I could have a cabin here too. written Yucca aff. angustifolia, the correct name
Although we were offered the chance to should be Yucca glauca (Fig.9).
stay one more night and, although it was very Later we also visited the scenic viewpoint
tempting, we were short of time and with a (Collegiate Peaks Overlook) just before
heavy heart we decided to leave. We said Johnson Village. Even there, along the short
thanks and goodbye to our marvelous hosts trail, we discovered one P. simpsonii and
and packed our stuff. We passed the city of several E. viridiflorus plants. Then we passed
23
Fig.6 Another habitat of Pediocactus simpsonii with Fig.7 Pediocactus simpsonii with pinkish flower
pine trees (2830m elevation), Northeast of Johnson (2770m elevation), East of Johnson Village, Col-
Village, Colorado. orado.
While getting of the car I tried to explain to
him that I must have seen large pediocacti
among the pine trees. Josef followed me with
grumbling and I heard something about “a
crazy cactophile”. But when he saw what I
saw, his mood changed instantly and we both
started shooting numerous photos.
We were about 8 miles East of the Monarch
Pass at elevation of about 2730m. There, next to
the road, was a gentle South-facing slope,
where we found an atractive form of P.
simpsonii – the plants looked like white spiny
Fig.8 Pink flowering Pediocactus simpsonii (2770m balls (Fig.11). The most white specimens
elevation), East of Johnson Village, Colorado.
reminded me very much of Parodia nivosa
Johnson Village and headed further South which I had observed many many years ago in
along U.S. Hwy 285. North of Poncha Springs Quebrada del Toro in Northern Argentina. The
we took U.S. Hwy 50 Westwards, towards pediocacti were quite variable but the white
Gunnison and Montrose. spinations clearly prevailed. They were
I was driving and Josef was taking a nap. I growing there on sunny rocky outcrops
was admiring the landscape and nature along surrounded by tall pine trees (Figs.11,12&13).
the way when I suddenly spotted large white And they were really copious as can be seen in
balls in the forest next to the road. I jumped on Fig.12. It was a wonderful experience to
the break to stop immediatelly. Josef woke up encounter such a rich and healthy population
with consternation, asking what is going on. of this fascinating species. And, as a bonus, we
24
Fig.9 A habitat of Pediocactus simpsonii and Fig.10 Echinocereus viridiflorus with emerging
Echinocereus viridiflorus in sparse pine forest at el- flower buds (2770m elevation), East of Johnson
evation of 2770m, East of Johnson Village, Col- Village, Colorado.
orado.
Fig.11 A habitat of Pediocactus simpsonii East of the Monarch Pass, Colorado. Pedios were growing on
sunny outcrops among yuccas and pine trees.
discovered one old crested specimen too mountains, over the Monarch Pass and then
(Fig.14). We also saw Echinocereus viridiforus we enjoyed a lot of switchbacks going down
(Fig.15), Opuntia sp., and numerous Yucca the hill. The forest was gradually replaced by
glauca. On the other side of the road (the sagebrush cover and montane meadows. We
North-facing slopes) was thick forest of aspens decided to make a short stop next to Cross Bar
and pine trees. Ranch, some 30 miles Southeast of Gunnison.
Excited from such a discovery, we drove There again we saw more of P. simpsonii and
along Hwy 50 further through the forested also a tiny species of Sedum with reddish
25
Fig.12 The plants of Pediocactus simpsonii were

really copious and the population prosperous. East
of the Monarch Pass, Colorado.
Fig.13 A detail of two smaller specimens of Pedio- Fig.15 A cluster of Echinocereus viridiflorus grow-
cactus simpsonii East of the Monarch Pass, Col- ing under Yucca glauca. East of the Monarch Pass,
orado. Colorado.
The last stop of the day was just East of
Montrose at the elevation of 2350m. There I did
not see pedios anymore. There were only
Opuntia fragilis and also a different type of
yucca, with shorter and broader leaves than
before, Y. harrimaniae. There was also an
interesting plant Asclepias cryptoceras (Pallid
Milweed) from the Apocynaceae (formerly
Asclepiadaceae) family.
Quite tired, we reached Motel 8 in
Montrose. We got a two bed room for USD 54
Fig.14 An attractive crested form of Pediocactus including working (really working!) internet
simpsonii East of the Monarch Pass, Colorado. and probably the best service so far. With a
succulent leaves and small yellow flowers. sixpack of beers we discussed what we had
Then we stopped some 8 miles West of seen that day. And if I was to summarize the
Gunnison at an elevation of 2500m. We walked day in one short sentence: We spent an
over low hills covered with sagebrush and amazing day in Pedioland!
observed the quite comon Opuntia aff. zlatko Janeba
polyacantha (with smaller pads) and quite rare
desert-flora@seznam.cz
P. simpsonii. The cacti grew in a slate-clay soil
there.
26
A BRIEF HISTORY AND VISITS

TO THE HABITAT OF
MELOCACTUS MATANZANUS
We hear stories about the demise of Melocactus matanzanus in habitat so it is good to get an up to date
assessment from the field. Jose Miguel Acuña Guerra describes the history and current situation concerning the
survival of Melocactus matanzanus in Cuba Photographs by the author.
After visiting almost all the habitats where spine of variable length. Flowers 17mm long,
Melocactus grows in the eastern provinces of the rosy, attractive with 27 sepals, numerous
Cuban archipelago, there was a species of this stamens, stigma lobes are small, 4 or 5 in
genus that we were still not able to visit in its number. Fruit elongated 1.5cm long, shiny
natural location. A melocactus of the western black seeds. Its author reported large colonies
region, one of the most beautiful and for many (León 1934).
decades one of those most coveted. An icon of This endemic cactus named ‘matanzanus’
Cuban cacti, present in the most important because it grows in Matanzas province, near the
collections. I refer to Melocactus matanzanus major city with a similar name. Symbol of this
León. region, they are growing on low elevations of
It was collected in 1927 by Joseph Sylvestre serpentine rock. These hills constitute a fringe
Sauget, a Frenchman that resided in Cuba, well- that is located to the south of the formations of
known as brother León for his religious calcareous rock of the north coast of the
condition. Described by him in 1934 as a lightly Matanzas, Mayabeque and Havana provinces.
depressed plant, 7–8cm high, with 8 or 9 ribs, These areas are covered with evergreen dry
close areoles; spines 1–1.5cm long, of yellowish forest or evergreen thorny scrub. The cuabal
colour, between 8 and 9 radial spines, 1 central Las Tres Ceibas de Clavellinas is the type
Fig.1 An old Melocactus matanzanus with a tall cephalium and productive progeny.
27
Fig.2 View of the bridge of Bacunayagua from the Fig.3 Young plant of Melocactus matanzanus in
Valley of the Yumurí. habitat.
Fig.4 Healthy mature cactus with multiple flowers

ready to open
Fig.6 Maikel Pérez next to Melocactus matanzanus

and juvenile of Agave legrelliana under the shade
of Coccothrinax miraguama subsp. roseocarpa.
M. matanzanus is small in comparison with
other related species. It takes between 5 and 7
years to produce a cephalium of dense bristles,
Fig.5 In its natural area Melocactus matanzanus of orange to reddish colour on a base of white
can increases the number of ribs and enlarge its wool. The cephalium is 8cm in diameter and
diameter. 5cm high.
locality of this beautiful ‘melo’. Cuabal means The central spine is generally absent in
dense, impenetrable scrub, and refers to the juvenile plants and it begins to appear singly
vegetable formation of thorny xeromorphic when the cactus approaches its sexual maturity,
scrub on serpentine. first on the areoles of the apex that then move
28
Fig.7 The endemic Mesechites roseus (A. AD.) Fig.8 Following the recovery of the habitat, some
Miers (Apocynaceae) in flower. It grows in the cacti have died or they show fire burns. Colony 2.
surroundings of the serpentine hills.
Fig.10 A small Agave legrelliana growing in rocky

Fig.9 It is common that some young melocacti ground next to this beautiful melocactus in Tres
germinate under the protection of older plants. Ceibas de Clavellinas.
At its geographic location M. matanzanus
during the successive growth of the plant. The
survives minimum temperatures of 15°C in the
lack of central spines makes that the juvenile
winter nights (the dry period in Cuba). They
Melocactus matanzanus look identical to M.
don't seem to be affected by the abundant
actinacanthus. It is worth emphasizing that in
precipitation in summer (the humid period)
contrast there are juveniles of M. actinacanthus
when an average of 1400–1800mm annual
with central spines that disappear during
rainfall is reported for that area (Borhidi, 1970).
ageing. At the present time many authors
consider that they are the same species. Brief History
It is an easy cactus to cultivate. Within 5 or 6 For a long time Melocactus matanzanus was a
months of being harvested, the seeds have a cactus not studied, almost unknown in the
viability of 95% by any means of germination. botanical records, according to Ríha (1971) it
M. matanzanus generally rests in the dry period, was the most frequent of the Cuban melocacti,
although there is a report of plants that flourish however, already he thought that, due to their
and produce fruits during the whole year, as small population in a restricted area, M.
much in habitat as in cultivation. Mature plants matanzanus could disappear from fortuitous
can continue increasing the number of ribs that causes (Borhidi & Muñiz, 1970).
can arrive at 11 or more. Grafting can accelerate The beginning of the decade of the ´80s is
their development and then they reach when big problems begin for this species.
maturity in 3 or 4 years. Although it was a signal for the loss of their
29
Fig.11 In this family group it is possible to observe the absence of the characteristic central spine in the
juveniles that later grow in adulthood.
Fig.12 This view in the zone includes colony 4 of Melocactus matanzanus with its associated vegetation
recovered in Tres Ceibas de Clavellinas.
30
Fig.13 The minuscule Borreria eritrichoides C. for- Fig.14 Forestry area with Pinus caribaea burnt by
mer Wright Griseb (Rubiacea) prefers the most ex- the fire.
posed rocky places in the sun.
habitat, in this time before the economic peak, introduced plants and a positive experience
the cuabal Las Tres Ceibas de Clavellinas regarding environmental education.
suffered a clearance for a plan of afforestation Regrettably, the well-known economic crisis
with Pinus caribaea Morelet. It was in 1983 that a as Special Period stopped everything for lack of
fire affected the populated colony, the massive resources in 1993. The conservationist group
extraction of plants for national and foreign informed the municipal government of this
collectors decimated them at their habitat. By situation by means of a document that included
the middle of this decade the total number of all the details of the carried out work and they
M. matanzanus was of 576 and just 21 mature suggested that the recently founded Company
plants (Sosa, 1989). for Flora and Fauna Protection should take
At the end of the ´80s the first steps were charge of continuing with the conservation and
taken intended to count and to reinforce the cactus introduction (Sosa, pers.com.).
populations of M. matanzanus, by the Group In 1994 the Ministry of Agriculture and
Juan Tomas Roig Nature Friends and several specialists proposed a plan directed to
anAgriculture Ministry initiative. Several conserve species of restricted character, to
collectors participated in that project for re- maintain the biodiversity and to preserve the
introducing cacti. The most important at that ecosystems. In Las Tres Ceibas de Clavellinas
moment was the combination of specialists, combined areas of cuabal and plantations of P.
fans and residents to create a plan to instigate caribaea were assigned, only 158 hectares that
the cultivation of M. matanzanus ex-situ and included M. matanzanus. Among other areas
their later re-introduction. This project also dedicated for study, investigation and
carried out a very serious study on the main recreation (Rodríguez et al., 1994).
threats and gave proposal keys for the
At the end of the decade of the ´90s is
conservation of the cuabal, alerting the error of
considered a decrease of the size and quality of
clearing the habitat for forest plans, the danger
the original habitat with just 3 very reduced
of the fires and to warn about the limitless
colonies of M. matanzanus, 1150 in total, the
collected with a commercial purpose (Sosa,
losses include some of the melocactus
1989).
introduced during the last years. The forest
The carried out work had an initial success activity and the inadequate handling of the
with invaluable statistical compilation, the high species and the habitat are the factors that lead
level of survival in a dozen sowings of M. to the cuabal Las Tres Ceibas de Clavellinas to a
matanzanus that endorse the effort and critical situation; for that moment a re-
dedication. As for conservation, it would be one evaluation of the conservation status of M.
of the most important and unpublished projects matanzanus becomes critically endangered.
carried out at national level with 4444 According to Robledo (1999) it was ruled that
31
Fig.15 Imposing Copernicia macroglossa has recovered its natural space.

the decrease in the number of individuals of M.
matanzanus was primarily caused was by forest
activity that produced abrupt changes in the
ecosystem.
The investigative works of Lenia Robledo
and their team of the University of Matanzas
point in the first years of the XXI century to
concrete measures that comprise a plan for
handling the area and the conservation of M.
matanzanus. Without abandoning the activities
of protection of P. caribaea, the measures of
conservation of the species of the plant
formation of the cuabal are intensified. Count,
monitored, handling of M. matanzanus and
several suggestions regarding the undue use of
technical forest, control of disease or
improvement of fences and trails with native
plants such as Agave legrelliana Jacobi. It is the
influential approach of several personalities of
the botanical world such as Ángela Leiva, in
that time director of the National Botanical
Garden, recently deceased (Robledo, pers.
com.).
The Plan included government actions to
Fig.16 Pamphlet that summarizes the work of rein- accumulate more knowledge of M. matanzanus
troduction of Melocactus matanzanus in its habitat.
32
Fig.17 Winter view of serpentine rock hills in the cuabal Tres Ceibas de Clavellinas, habitat of Melocactus
matanzanus.
and its protection. To the technical personnel in evident, the indigenous plant formations
the areas qualified him or her according to the gaining space.
specific handling requirements for The Trip
M.matanzanus and the cuabal in general. The
conservation and ex-situ reproduction was After the event of the IOS meeting had taken
instigated. In 2004 two new colonies of M. place in Cuba in July 2012, I had knowledge
matanzanus were located. The management that a group of companions had visited the
actions in one of them, colony 5, are based on cuabal Las Tres Ceibas de Clavellinas; among
the natural recovery of the species; without re- them a Cuban collector who had visited the
introductions or modifications. A total of 1687 habitat in other occasions. He declared to me
melocactus were counted (Robledo et al., 2005). that there were almost no plants and that a
guide of the protected area showed him the
The investigators also detected sick cacti only mature melocactus. It also discouraged me
with Corynebacterium. Intense work existed at from going because the area was almost
that time with the reproduction in-vitro of M. inaccessible.
matanzanus for reintroduced in habitat. After
all, the number of individuals increased At the beginning of the year 2014 I decided
successfully, but there were problems detected not to defer my trip any more. I live in Havana
over the course of the years, of malformations that is relatively near to Las tres Ceibas de
for the undue use of phytohormones in Clavellinas, and encouraged by Johan, a friend
cultivation. Later gave way that method, at the and collector, we decide to visit the habitat of
moment the Cuban specialists in conservation Melocactus matanzanus and to see what was
dissuade the cactus development by means of there for certain.
phytohormones and they promote the We approached the cuabales from the town
cultivation ex-situ in common germination of New Corral, located to the south of our
substrate preferably with habitat seeds. objective. The bad information of how to get
In 2006, the workers of the Biological Station, there made us return to the whole system of
created for conservation purposes and hills of serpentine toward the west. Everything
protection of the cuabal, take charge of was very damaged, covered with invasive
removing the invasive plants and they protect plants and bovine livestock strolling. We
the habitat of 385 hectares (Rygersky et al., crossed a labyrinth of roads the whole day that
2007). The recovery, although slow, was already took us to the underside of the famous Bridge
33
Fig.18 The author at the entrance to the habitat of Fig.20 Melocactus matanzanus grafted on Acan-
the protected Melocactus matanzanus. thocereus tetragonus. Collection Salvador Arjona,
Bayamo, province Granma.
Fig.21 Excellent Melocactus matanzanus with

flowers and fruits, property of Rusbel de la Cruz.
Holguin.
Fig.19 Melocactus matanzanus with fruits. entrance of the Flora managed reserve Las Tres
Collection Lisvanys García. Ranchuelo, province Ceibas de Clavellinas, that simply you arrive to
Villa Clara. the habitat of M.matanzanus. Although the road
of Bacunayagua. Thanks to a villager that to the same cuabal is hard for a common
invited us to eat lunch in their house, he vehicle, to walking enthusiastically it is not
informed us that we were far from the route to difficult and having been entertained by the
our destination. So like it was already late we variety of birds and butterflies that populate the
return to Havana. Pine groves and groves, enjoyed with the
diversity of endemism botanicals and, without
That same week and in the company of Amy,
‘understanding’, because they recommended an
wife of Johan, and partner in our adventures,
impossible trip.
we repeated the expedition to Las Tres Ceibas
de Clavellinas. We were on the freeway that We arrive this way and we could request
leads from Havana to Matanzas. A couple of permission for 2 days more. It is sometimes
kilometers after crossing the Bridge of complex to visit areas protected in Cuba. But it
Bacunayagua a sign indicated a route to the is the surest form, because a guide guarantees
right toward Corral Nuevo, exactly in 81 the access and the journey, at the same time
kilometers. We were travelling until the end of they look after the security of the plants and the
the same one, turning to the right is the habitat.
34
Fig.22 The cuabales seen from the Bacunayagua bridge, to the right Pan de Matanzas, the highest eleva-
tion in that province.
Fig. 23 Lázaro (on right), helps the guide to restore Fig.24 The rustic posters that signal and warn the
a sign. visitors they are in the whole area.
My trip partners were not available that day or hundreds of individuals in various periods
so in company of Maikel, another friend, I of life. (Contrary to what we were told, there
could complete a dream. A cold front had just are many adults). Some young ones have
entered fortunately and the wind of the north grown under nurse plants, the endemic Agave
made the visit pleasant. Among these hills there legrelliana, Coccothrinax miraguama (Kunth) Becc.
are hardly paths and to cross the thorny hill subsp. roseocarpa (León) Borhidi & O. Muñiz
under the heat of the tropical sun is an arduous and mature M. matanzanus. Others grow among
task. fissures of the rocks or beside trunks of several
M. matanzanus grows at the summit of these bushes. There are some melocactus with scars
hills and in the illuminated hillsides guided to from fire burns. In the whole environment the
the south. The six current colonies of M. recovery of the damage is denoted by the fire
matanzanus are distributed at several elevations. that made havoc 2 years ago. It is pleasant to
We visited the colonies 2, 3, 4 and 5, very taken see examples of the indigenous flora taking
care and signed, examples of the good their place. It is necessary to highlight that the
conservation work carried out, all with dozens sixth colony arose spontaneous in a cleared area
35
Fig.26 The next generation in preparation.
Fig.25 Melocactus matanzanus of colony 1.
Fig.28 Young Melocactus in colony 1, observe the

absence of a central spine.
photograph them in their habitat.
In June of 2016 I repeated the trip in the
company of Lázaro zardiñas, collector that
contributed to spread seeds of M matanzanus in
their natural habitat in past years. This time
guided by Carlos, administrator and boss of the
protected area, we visit the colony 1. This
colony shows reintroduced cacti of several ages,
Fig.27 Lázaro Zardiñas admires this beautiful cac- the adults with fruits guarantee the next
tus. generations. Carlos tells us that the re-
that didn't end up being forested (Robledo, introduction was made because a fire destroyed
pers. com.). everything, including the original melocactus
colony 1; the earth burned it was roasted and
According Mateo, our guide, the protected the exposed serpentine rock melted the shoes,
area is administered by the Forest Company the fire’s flames ascended dozens of meters, an
and the Company for Flora and Fauna entire hell.
Protection in charge of the handling, use and
protection of the available resources besides Our guide witnessed that fire and fought to
eliminating the invasive plants that try to settle, extinguish it. When looking around we feel
all this in spite of the low wages and bad work pride seeing the re-established vegetation,
conditions. It was a pleasure to walk among protected by anti-fire breaks and surveillance
these emblematic cacti and of course to towers. We also discovered the existence of a
36
seventh colony that like number 6 arose
spontaneously and it is outside the protected
area. Is it possible that these colonies always
existed aided by the density of the cuabal, or
that they are a result of the introduction of
seeds by the conservationists years earlier.
Maybe my friend Lázaro helped this, because
he accessed the Tres Ceibas to the south, from
Corral Nuevo town, a road that is inaccessible
now. As it is, the significance is that there are
more Melocactus matanzanus and the possibility
of finding more colonies.
Fig.22 The cuabales seen from the Bacunayagua
Epilogue bridge, to the right Pan de Matanzas, the highest
elevation in that province.
At the moment habitat loss exists in almost
LEóN, HNO. (1934). El género Melocactus en
all the plant formations where cacti grow in
Cuba. Memorias de la Sociedad cubana de
Cuba. There are conservation strategies for
Historia Natural. 8: 201–208. ¨Felipe Poey¨.
several of these species and the government
will with a view to the protection of the areas in MONTIEL, L. (2004). Situación de las colonias de la
their diverse variants. But the works are especie Melocactus matanzanus.
insufficient; they collide with the interests of RIGERSKI, z., DELANOY, G., UGRéTI, E., &
growth and development from the near human VILARDEBO, A. (2007). Melocacti of Cuba. pp.
populations to these areas. The insufficient 38–39.
information and study limit the specialists in
the tasks directed to the environmental RíHA, J. (1971). The cacti of Cuba. The National
education, conservation plans and handling of Cactus & Succulent Journal 20. pp. 36–38.
the threatened species. ROBLEDO, L. (1999). Estado actual del cuabal ‘Las
What happened to Melocactus matanzanus Tres Ceibas de Clavellinas’. Tesis en opción al
could be repeated to a great extent with other grado académico de Master en Ciencias.
cactus species, with great taxa’s diversity and Jardín Botánico Nacional. Universidad de La
habitats. It should not be expected that many of Habana.
these are hopelessly damaged to execute preset ROBLEDO, L., ENRíQUEz, A., GONzÁLEz, A. &
actions that have demonstrated success in the MONTIEL, L.F. (2005). Evaluación del estado
restoration of half ambient of interest. de conservación de Melocactus matanzanus.
These and other matters were in the Cuban In: GONzÁLEz-TORRES, L.R., PALMAROLA, A., &
20 Workshop of Conservation of Cactus, taking RODRíGUEz, A. (EDS). Memorias del Taller de
place in May of 2015. This event sponsored by Conservación de Cactus Cubanos. Jardín
several ONG´s, united specialists and Botánico Nacional. Universidad de La
enthusiasts, it is part of the Cuban program of Habana. 23–25 de Marzo de 2005.
Conservation of Cactus and it is coordinated by ROBLEDO, L., SANTANA, P.,CRUz, R., SOTO, E.,
the National Botanical Garden Conservation MIGULVERDURA,M.T., BECQUER, E., GARCíA,E.,
Group and the Cuban Society of Botany. One of HERNÁNDEz,J.A., LAzCANO, J., MATOS, J.,
the premises of this encounter was that for the MéNDEz, I.E., PEñA, E., SARALEGUI, H., &
viability of the cactus populations it is URQUIOLA, A.J. (2001). Melocactus matanzanus.
indispensable the effort in the conservation of In LAzCANO J., PEñA,E., DEL RISCO, L., LEIVA,
their habitats, M. matanzanus in Las Tres Ceibas A.T., ALPIzAR, S., & MATAMOROS, Y. (EDS).
de Clavellinas is an example of it. Memorias del 2o Taller para la Conservación,
References Análisis y Manejo Planificado de Plantas
Silvestres Cubanas. Conservation Breeding
BORHIDI, A. & MUñIz, O. (1970). Breve estudio Specialist Group. Apple Valley. M.N. 12–14
botánico del Valle de Yumurí y sus alrededores. de Marzo de 2001. p. 55.
(sne).
37
OPUNTIA GILVESCENS,
A FORGOTTEN TAXON
David J Ferguson1, Nancy Hussey2, Joseph Shaw3*
1 Rio Grande Botanical Garden, BioPark Botanic Garden, Albuquerque, NM
Email:davef@opuntiads.com
2 Meadview, AZ Email: nancy@opuntiads.com
3* Germantown, MD, jshaw@opuntiads.com
*Corresponding author: Joseph Shaw ELS PhD Email: jshaw@opuntiads.com
Introduction Mature cladodes are about 5–8 inches long,

Opuntia gilvescens was described by David 5–7 inches wide and half-an-inch thick. The
Griffiths (1909) over 100 years ago (Figure 7). It cladodes are obovate or nearly orbicular
is not an overly abundant plant, but it is (Figure 2). First year cladodes are glaucous
distinctive and not rare. It has a large range. green or greyish-green and can lighten by the
We have observed O. gilvescens in south-central second year. In winter, some plants become
and western Oklahoma, southern Colorado, lilac-purple or pink and often have slightly
central and western Texas, southern and concave pads (Figures 1, 3).
central New Mexico, much of Arizona, Glochids are typically straw-coloured to
southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, and far dirty yellow, or sometimes darker golden
eastern California. In Mexico, O. gilvescens brown to red-brown, typically darker with age.
occurs in Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and On younger pads they are one-eighth to a
apparently Durango and zacatecas. It is often quarter inches long, neatly and evenly
found on rocky soils, from 3,000 to 5,000ft, but arranged in the areoles, often with a central
it can be found in deeper soils and at lower clump and a surrounding ring of glochids that
elevations. The type locality is in “the foothills are slightly different in length but there is
of the Santa Rita Mountains, Az.” always a greater amount on the adaxial side.
Description and Biology On older cladodes, glochids may be up to half
an inch long, and become less regular in
O. gilvescens is frequently confused with O. arrangement (particularly on edge areoles),
phaeacantha because both are smaller opuntias. with new glochids produced from the center,
Unlike O. phaeacantha, O. gilvescens is often a often producing concentric rings surrounding
symmetrical plant (Figure 1). Mature plants the entire areole.
are typically about one meter in diameter or
sometimes larger and partially ascending. The Areoles on first-year cladodes may have no
cladodes are larger and stiffer than those of O. spines or up to four major ones, but two is
phaeacantha. Cladodes on the main branches common, often only upper areoles. The spine
rest on edge on the ground but, unlike those of tips are translucent. On first-year cladodes
O. phaeacantha, secondary branches rise to 22 with two major spines, both may be erect and
inches tall (exceptionally to 36 inches). The one or both may be dark. Often both are white.
plants are closely branched and generally do Over time the spines become retrorse, but the
not sprawl as O. phaeacantha does. The major one may remain erect (Figure 4). A few
branches are stiff with woody support tissue, much smaller spines (ca. a quarter inch) may
and they are not easily bendable even when also be present. Older spines are usually
dehydrated. chalky white, but some populations have
yellowish or darker brownish spines.
38
Fig.1 Opuntia gilvescens mature plant in winter, Fig.2 Opuntia gilvescens, Kingman, AZ
Kingman, AZ
Fig.4 Opuntia gilvescens cladode, near Bagdad, AZ
Fig.3 Opuntia gilvescens lilac pads in winter, Belen,

NM
Fig.6 Opuntia gilvescens unripe fruit, Albuquerque,

NM
Fig.5 Opuntia gilvescens flower, Albuquerque, NM
39
even have rounded bases. On some plants,
fruits may be barrel-shaped or even
subspherical (Figure 6). Fruits have more
areoles than O. phaeacantha, and they are small
with tight clumps of inconspicuous glochids.
The ripe fruit is typically red to deep purplish,
but may be pink or pink-green, and may even
be mottled. The rind is usually light-green.
Seeds are about three eighths of an inch in
diameter with an additional 1/16 or 1/8 inch
rim.
O. gilvescens is easily observed in the field as
a plant constantly distinct from O. phaeacantha.
Though Opuntia species are often plastic in
their appearance, O. gilvescens has certain
features (e.g., vertical branching; larger size;
more woody structure; obovate or
suborbicular cladodes; more areoles on the
cladodes, ovaries and fruit; spines fewer and
shorter; fruit typically without a pronounced
narrowing/stipe at the base) almost always
present. These characteristics collectively
distinguish it from O. phaeacantha. O. gilvescens
is hexaploid (Powell & Weedin, 2001;
Ferguson, unpublished data).
O. gilvescens is an adaptable garden plant
and forms from higher latitudes or altitudes
Fig.7 The illustrations of O. gilvescens that accom- are easily cold hardy to -15°F, especially if dry.
panied the first description by D. Griffiths in Report The plants bloom easily and make an
of the Missouri Botanical Garden 20: 87 (1909). attractive, compact garden plant.
Typically, the longer of the two spines is References
approximately one inch long on young
GRIFFITHS, DAVID (1909) Illustrated Studies in
cladodes but may be nearly two inches on
the genus Opuntia. Report of the Missouri
older cladodes. Some populations contain
Botanical Garden 20: 87.
plants with longer spines up to two inches,
even on newer cladodes, but this is not KURTz, EDWIN B. (1948) Pollen Grain
common. Characters of Certain Cactaceae. Bulletin of
the Torrey Botanical Club Vol.75(5): 516–522.
Flowers are normally pure yellow or with a
hint of red at the base of the inner tepals POWELL, MICHAEL A. & JAMES F. WEEDIN (2001)
(Figure 5). Some populations in southeastern Chromosome Numbers in Chihuahuan
Utah and adjacent Arizona contain individuals Desert Cactaceae. III. Trans-Pecos Texas,
with orange or pink flowers. The stigmas are Amer. J. Bot. 88(3): 481–485.
green, pale-green, or even pale-yellow-green,
and the style is creamy white. Kurtz (1948)
reported that the pollen of O. gilvescens is
about 130µm in diameter with up to 30 faces
and about 15µm wider than the pollen of O.
phaeacantha. Fruits often do not have a
pronounced narrowing at the base and may
40
HISTORICAL RECORDS
OF THE RANGE OF
OPUNTIA FRAGILIS
Root Gorelick reviews the recorded distribution of one of the most widespread
and northerly distributed of all cacti.
The diminutive brittle prickly pear, Opuntia This is remarkably close to the current
fragilis Haw., has one of the largest native northern range limit of the Cactaceae, at Fort
ranges of any cactus, extending south to St. John, at 56°17' N. Herbarium records exist
Arizona and west to islands in the Puget for Opuntia fragilis at both Fort St. John, British
Sound and Strait of Georgia (Benson, 1982; Columbia and Dunvegan, Alberta (Gorelick,
Cota-Sánchez, 2002). Even more remarkable 2015). The range of this species extends 70km
are that O. fragilis is found as far east as farther downstream (east-north-east) of
Ontario on islands in Lake of the Woods and Dunvegan to the eponymous town of Peace
as far north as the Peace River Valley in River, Alberta. It is not certain how recent this
northern British Columbia and Alberta downstream range extension is, but the earliest
(Benson, 1982; Gorelick, 2015). A 1500km herbarium specimen from the town of Peace
vicariant range extension to Kaladar, Ontario River is from 1941, although there are
is also well-documented, but is probably an herbarium records from almost 50km
introduction by humans (Staniforth & Frego, upstream on the Smokey River dating to 1903
2000; Hancock, Darbyshire & Huntley, 2005). (Gorelick, 2015). Moreover, O. fragilis is known
My purpose here is to highlight that the to be able to survive movement by flooding
northern range limit to the Peace River, the rivers (Frego & Staniforth, 1985) hence its
eastern range limit to Lake of the Woods, and appearance in the town of Peace River is not
the northwestern range limit to the Strait of surprising. Furthermore, fifty miles south of
Georgia have been documented for 130 years. (“below”) Dunvegan are the Kleskun Hills,
While John Macoun (1883) mistook Opuntia from which herbarium specimens exist
fragilis for O. polyacantha Haw., which he called (Gorelick, 2015). Just south of the Kleskun
O. missouriensis DC. (the former name has Hills, near the town of Grand Prairie, the Peace
priority), these two species are morphologically River Grasslands end, being replaced by
very similar, especially in colder climates forests (Schmidt, Sperling & Macauley, 2014),
where O. polyacantha tends to have smaller hence the Peace River Valley population of O.
cladodes. These two species also hybridize in fragilis is disjunct (Gorelick, 2015). Opuntia
southern British Columbia as O. x columbiana fragilis is very much a grassland species.
Griffiths. Macoun (1886) documented the eastern
Regarding the northern range limit, Macoun range of Opuntia fragilis at Lake of the Woods,
(1883: 178) wrote: in Ontario, near the Minnesota border at the
A species which I believe to be the same, only part of the continental United States north
reappears again on the north bank of the Peace of the 49th parallel (due to an error at the end
River, Lat. 56° 12', where it grows on the arid of the War of 1812, where negotiators
clay slopes, exposed often to a temperature of mistakenly believed that Lake of the Woods
55° below zero. It is found from Fort St. John to was the headwaters of the Mississippi River).
50 miles below Dunvegan, or a distance of 150 Macoun (1886: 532) wrote about O. fragilis:
miles. Not uncommon on dry rocky islands in the
Lake of the Woods, 1884. (A.G. Lawson.). This
41
then must be the plant referred to by Sir John fragilis in the boreal forest of southeastern
Richardson as the ‘prickly pear,’ but which has Manitoba. Canadian Journal of Botany-Revue
not been detected within the last half century. Canadienne De Botanique 63: 2377–2382.
In the same passage, Macoun (1886) also GORELICK, R. (2015) Northern range limit of
documents the northwestern range of this Opuntia fragilis and the Cactaceae is 56°N,
species as extending to Hernando Island, in the not 58°N. Madroño 62: 115–123.
Strait of Georgia. The northwestern-most HANCOCK, K, DARBYSHIRE, S. & HUNTLEY, R.
herbarium record that I have found from the (2005) Canada’s Kaladar cactus. British
Strait of Georgia (no herbarium records exist Cactus and Succulent Journal 23: 50–55.
for this species in Vancouver Island proper)
was just a few kilometers north and west of MACOUN, J. (1883) Catalogue of Canadian plants:
Hernando Island, on Mitlenatch Island Part I – Polypetalæ. Dawson Brothers:
(Gorelick, 2015). Montreal.
Overall, the range of Opuntia fragilis has not MACOUN, J. (1886) Catalogue of Canadian plants:
changed much in the past 130 years and/or we Part III – Apetalæ. Dawson Brothers:
have not learned much more about its range in Montreal.
the intervening 130 years. This should give us SCHMIDT, B.C., SPERLING, F.A.H., & MACAULEY,
confidence in future studies documenting A.D. (2014) Moths and butterflies
range shifts in this species, especially as (Lepidoptera) of the Peace River region: case
climate changes. study of a disjunct grassland fauna. In:
References GIBERSON, D.J. & CÁRCAMO, H.A. EDS.
Arthropods of Canadian grasslands (volume 4):
BENSON, L.D. (1982) The cacti of the United States Biodiversity and systematics. Part 2. Ottawa:
and Canada. Stanford University Press: Biological Survey of Canada. 241–267.
Stanford.
STANIFORTH, R.J. & FREGO, K.A. (2000)
COTA-SÁNCHEz, J.H. (2002) Taxonomy, Ecological history and population dynamics
distribution, rarity status and uses of of a disjunct population of brittle prickly-
Canadian cacti. Haseltonia 9: 17–25. pear cactus, Opuntia fragilis (Cactaceae), in
FREGO, K.A., & STANIFORTH, R.J. (1985) Factors eastern Ontario. Canadian Field-Naturalist
determining the distribution of Opuntia 114: 98–105.
TAXING TAXONOMIES:
A COMPARISON OF THE VIEWS OF
DAVID HUNT AND JOËL LODÉ
Recent authors have taken different standpoints regarding the number of genera and species
they have accepted. The resulting alternative names for plants causes confusion. Will we ever
achieve stability? Graham Evans has analysed the treatments in the New Cactus Lexicon and
Taxonomy of the Cactaceae. The choice is yours. Download the Comparison
For the first time in many a decade, there Anderson’s The Cactus Family and Urs Eggli’s
are currently two readily available taxonomic German revision, Das große Kakteen-Lexikon, are
classifications of the Cactaceae, with The New taken into account but, although Eggli made a
Cactus Lexicon (NCL), edited by David Hunt, few significant changes, these works are based
Nigel Taylor and Graham Charles, and Joel on the deliberations of the International
Lode’s Taxonomy of the Cactaceae (TC) having Cactaceae Systematics Group and are
very different views. Actually, it could be said essentially precursors to the similarly based
there are three or even four if Edward NCL.
42
In simplistic terms, it could be said NCL to be the larger generic concepts but smaller
adopts a ‘lumping’ philosophy while TC takes units with strong molecular support are
more of a ‘splitting’ approach. It is, however, accepted as alternatively valid, eg Echinopsis is
probably pragmatic to say that NCL is based preferred but Acanthocalycium, Chamaecereus,
more on morphology and TC on DNA or Leucostele, Lobivia, Setiechinopsis, Soehrensia and
molecular studies, with both principal authors Trichocereus are considered justifiable (based
perhaps using these methodologies to support on the 2012 analysis of Schlumpberger and
their ‘lumping’ or ‘splitting’ mentalities. TC is Renner). There are, however, discrepencies
the later work, published in 2015, while NCL between the genera accepted as ‘alternative’ in
dates back to 2006, During the intervening Hunt’s various generic listings and the specific
years many molecular surveys have been names presented in CCC3. There are also
undertaken but David Hunt has kept us accepted genera, including Oreocereus and
updated on his views via his ongoing Cactaceae Oroya, that are presumably accidentally
Systematics Initiatives (CSI) journal, a second omitted, while other names accepted by Lodé,
edition of the NCL’s illustrations atlas (2013) such as Neoporteria, are ignored completely. I
and most recently the third edition of the have had, therefore, to make occasional
CITES Cactaceae Checklist (CCC3), published editorial choices, normally relying on CSI as
online in 2016. the most authorative source but taking the
When CCC3 became available, I thought it most recent publication where this failed.
would be interesting to fully compare the Having completed the two tables of
respective taxonomies of Hunt and Lodé, accepted names, I then created a spreadsheet
partly for its own sake as a learning experience to compare the views of the two authors in
but also perhaps with a view to re-labelling my respect of each genus and species retained by
collection and offering extracts of the result as either or both of them. This is presented here,
handouts at some of my talks. So, as winter set without further comment (other than to say I
in, my plants became dormant and the whirl of do not agree 100% with either classification)
cactus-related events slowed to a standstill, I for your interest and perhaps to stimulate
set about producing in tabular form debate. The New Cactus Lexicon and Taxonomy of
summaries of the two classifications. the Cactaceae are both available from Keith
I thought this would be fairly straight- Larkin (www.keithscactusbooks.co.uk) and
forward until I realised there were significant subscriptions to Cactaceae Systematics Initiatives
inconsistencies and omissions in both Lodé’s can be purchased from David Hunt
synonyms index and CCC3. For Lodé, I made (dh@newcactuslexicon.org).
the simple decision that I would accept the text Who knows, if my taxo-masochistic
of the two volumes over the separate index but tendencies do not subside, I may next attempt
for Hunt the situation was less clear because a listing of synonyms not accepted by either
there were several sources of reference. Hunt party ... Graham Evans
has also adopted a system of ‘preferred’ and DOWNLOAD Graham’s Comparison
‘alternative’ names, where those of choice tend
HERE
43
GYMNOCALYCIUM PONOMAREVAE
GAPON ET NEUHUBER – A NEW SPECIES FROM

THE SIERRA DE ANCASTI
Gymnocalycium ponomarevae Gapon et Neuhuber is described in this article as a
new species. It differs from the G. baldianum (Spegazzini) Spegazzini by the red-
pink colour of the flowers and its style position, it has more ribs, more spines, a larger
receptacle and ovary. It grows at lower altitudes than G. baldianum. It differs from
G. baldianum var. albiflorum Bercht by having more ribs and radial spines, flower
colour and a smaller ovary.
It grows west of Villa El Alto, Province Catamarca, Argentina, at altitudes of 1050–
1250m above sea level. Photographs by Victor Gapon except where stated.
Victor Gapon, cactus-club@yandex.ru
Gert Neuhuber, neuhuber@gymnocalycium.info
The routes of the authors’ journeys of the province of Santiago del Estero. If all
around Argentina in different years ran goes according to plan, and you never
through the Sierra de Ancasti in the get lost, then in the evening you can
province of Catamarca with its peculiar reach the provincial capital – San
cactus flora. The particular interest Fernando del Valle de Catamarca [Figs.
(among others) to us was the species 1–2].
Gymnocalycium baldianum (Spegazzini) The cactus flora on the east slopes of
Spegazzini, so popular among cactus the Sierra de Ancasti is represented by
fans for its red flowers. It is easier just to Cleistocactus baumannii Lem.; C.
climb to the ridge from the East, from smaragdiflorus Britton & Rose; Lobivia
Figure 1. Google map of part of Catamarca Province with the eastern part of the Sierra de Ancasti.
44
Figure 4: Gymnocalycium saglionis var. australe

VG-1331.
Figure 2: Road to the top of Sierra de Ancasti in the

direction of Tintigasta.
Figure 5. Acanthocalycium klimpelianum var.

macranthum VG-1332, El Mojon at 698m
Figure 3: Cleistocactus baumannii VG-1331, El

Cañada 487m. Figure 6: Opuntia elata VG-1272, El Alto, 960m
45
Figure 8. Parodia microsperma ssp. sanguiniflora

var. alijilanensis VG -573, El Desmonte,1013m.
Photograph: N. Ponomareva.
Figure 7. Cleistocactus smaragdiflorus VG-1272.
Figure 10. Gymnocalycium baldianum aff. VG-988,

Vilisman, 1157m. Photograph: N. Schelkunova
Figure 9. Lobivia aurea var. dobeana VG-1273, Figure 11. Gymnocalycium baldianum aff. VG-988,
Iloga, 1148m Vilisman, 1157m. Photograph: N. Ponomareva.
46
Figure 12. Gymnocalycium baldianum aff. VG-988, Figure 13. Gymnocalycium baldianum aff. VG-1273
Vilisman, 1157m.
Figure 14. Gymnocalycium baldianum aff. VG-1273 Figure 15. Gymnocalycium baldianum aff. VG-1273
Photograph: N. Ponomareva.
Figure 16. Gymnocalycium baldianum var. albiflo- Figure 17. Gymnocalycium baldianum VG-559, El
rum VG -573 Portezuelo, 1699m.Photograph by N. Schelkunova.
47
Figure 18. Gymnocalycium ponomarevae VG-988

in culture.
Figure 19. Gymnocalycium ponomarevae has 16–

20 ribs. Photograph: GN-1083, El Alto, 1080m.
Photograph: G. Neuhuber
Figure 20. Gymnocalycium ponomarevae VG-988,

plants have 7–11 spines.
Figure 21. Wintering specimen of Gymnocalycium

ponomarevae VG-988 with central spine.
Figure 22. Four-year-old seedling of Gymnocaly- Figure 23.Flower of Gymnocalycium ponomarevae

cium ponomarevae VG-988. VG-1273.
48
Table 1. Comparison of G. ponomarevae with related taxa.
G. baldianum
Taxon G. baldianum G. ponomarevae G. × heidiae
var. albiflorum
Stem diameter 40–70mm <60mm <60mm <100mm
Ribs 6–9 16–20 9–12 9–11
Radial spines 3–7 (7–)9(–11) 5–7 (5–)7(–9)
Central spines 0(–1) 0(–1) 0 0(–1)
Flower height 35–40mm 45–60mm 50–55mm 45–73mm
pale to saturated pink white with light-red whitish, pale-pink

Flower colour intensive purple
and red-pink throat to red, lilac
2.5–5mm
Ovary size 9–13mm x 5–6mm 14–18mm x 6–7mm 10–20mm x 5–7mm
x 2–4.5mm
Altitude range 1100–2000m 1050–1250m 700–1150m 1000–1200m
aurea var. dobeana Rausch; Parodia publications about the distribution of

microsperma ssp. sanguiniflora var. this species (Neuhuber & W. Till,1999).
alijilanensis nom. prov.; Acanthocalycium Our findings can’t be assigned to the
klimpelianum var. macranthum J.G.Lamb.; species G. baldianum, because they have
Opuntia ficus-indica Mill.; Opuntia noticeably more ribs, as well as a
quimilo K.Schum.; O. elata Salm-Dyck; different colour and structure of flowers
Cereus peruvianus Mill. and – see Table 1 (above).
Gymnocalycium saglionis var. australe
H.Till (subgenus Microsemineum) – see Other pretenders of the relationship
Figs.3–9. The first representatives of the to G. baldianum var. albiflorum should be
subgenus Gymnocalycium seen in the considered. In 1998, H. Till and the
triangle Villa El Alto – Vilisman – El second author of this article showed
Desmonte at altitudes of 1050–1250m, that this taxon does not belong to the
but the colour of their flowers is not red! complex of G. baldianum (H. Till &
[see Figs.10–15] Gymnocalycium Neuhuber, 1998). And in the next year it
baldianum var. albiflorum Bercht has been was formally declared as a synonym of
described from the same region, G. rosae H. Till (Neuhuber & W. Till,
however, we found that the plants did 1999). After that G. Charles regarded it
not correspond to the description of G. as belonging to the G. kieslingii Ferrari
baldianum var. albiflorum, and the area of complex (Charles, 2009). The study of
this last mentioned taxon is to the North the systematic position of this taxon is
of El Alto [Fig.16]. We identified our beyond the scope of this article. It is
findings as Gymnocalycium baldianum aff. important for us that our finding can’t
but gymnocalyciums with pure red be attributed to the taxon G. baldianum
flowers (G. baldianum s.str.) on this road var. albiflorum, because this has fewer
can only be found above 1300m [Fig.17], ribs and spines and a totally different
which correlates well with earlier colour of flowers.
49
Figure 24. Flower section of Gymnocalycium pono-

marevae VG-988.
Figure 25–27. Variability of flower colour of G.

ponomarevae from the same location (VG-988).
Figure 26. Flower of G. ponomarevae

Figure 27. Flower of G. ponomarevae
Figure 28. Seeds of Gymnocalycium ponomarevae Figure 29. Natalia Ponomareva at work in Ar-
VG-988, Photograph: V. Schädlich. gentina.
50
Therefore, we propose to consider the
plants we found as a separate species.
Gymnocalycium ponomarevae Gapon
et Neuhuber spec. nov.
Typus: Argentina, Provincia
Catamarca, prope Vilisman, 1157m s.m.,
leg. V. Gapon VG10-988/4547, 04.02.2010.
Holotypus: WU (Inventar Nr. 4028,
planta in liquore alcoholico); Isotypus:
WU (Inventar Nr. 4029, 4030, flos in
liquore alcoholico).
Figure 30. Goats – the No. 1 enemy of Gymnocaly-
Diagnosis: Differs from G. baldianum cium ponomarevae at the habitat VG-988,
(Spegazzini) Spegazzini by the red-pink Photograph: N. Ponomareva.
colour of the flowers and the style pink at first, with carmine tints later,
position (the base of style is submerged darker at the base, outer tepals with
into the ovary), it has more ribs, more wide light olive-green-brownish middle
spines, a larger receptacle and ovary. It stripe. Pericarp up to 30mm long, 8–
grows at lower altitudes than G. 10mm diameter, green, scales green,
baldianum and differs from G. baldianum with light or pale-pinkish margins.
var. albiflorum Bercht by more ribs and Filaments pink, 1 row at the base, short,
radial spines, the colour of the flowers leaning onto the style, a further series
and a smaller ovary. inserted on the receptacle wall, in the
top part curved towards the centre;
Description: Body up to 60mm diam.,
Anthers yellowish. Style pink to
flattened-globular, up to 20mm high
intensive-pink; Stigma white with 7 (up
from the soil level and with a sturdy
to 10) stigma lobes, the base of the
taproot. Epidermis greyish-green. Ribs
stigma is at the level of the second
16–20 (less on young plants), straight,
anther ring; Ovary white-walled, 9–
up to 10mm wide at the base, 3–4mm
13mm long, up to 6mm diam.; Fruit
high, divided into humps with small
club-shaped, green when ripe, vertically
chins, separated by horizontal cross
opening; Seeds black, partially or
grooves. Areoles slightly deep to sitting
completely covered with a dry brown
up, with short white woolly felt, round
skin (subgenus Gymnocalycium), HMR
to slightly elongated, up to 3mm long.
wide, from round to slightly drop
Spines (7–)9(–11), thin, radiating
shaped, recessed, the centre raised.
sideways and down, usually slightly
[Figs.18–28].
curved, creamy to white, the base is
usually red to brownish, more or less Distribution: Argentina, Prov.
equal in length, up to 10mm long; 0(–1) Catamarca, west of El Alto, in the region
central spine. Flowers from areoles near between Vilisman and El Desmonte in
the apex, funnel shaped, 45–60mm long the Sierra de Ancasti, 1050–1250m above
and 35–45mm in diameter. Perianth sea level.
Segments up to 25mm long, wide
spatulate, pale pink to pink and red-
51

Figure 31. Flower section of Gymnocalycium bal- marevae GN-1083. Photograph: G. Neuhuber
dianum GN-738. Photograph: G. Neuhuber
Figure 34. Flower section of Gymnocalycium bal-

dianum var. albiflorum VG -573.

marevae GN-1031, El Desmonte, 1220m.
Photograph by G. Neuhuber.
Figure 36. Comparison of Gymnocalycium ×heidiae

VG-1343 (left) and Gymnocalycium ponomarevae
VG-988 (right).
Figure 37. Comparison of flower sections of Gym-

Figure 35. Gymnocalycium baldianum var. albiflo- nocalycium ponomarevae VG-988 (left) and Gym-
rum VG -573 in culture. nocalycium × heidiae VG-1343 (right).
52
Etymology: The new species is well. As you can see on table 1 and the
named in honour of Natalia flower sections [Fig. 36–37], they are
Ponomareva (Moscow) – member of the totally different – the last one has a
2012–2016 Russian expeditions to larger stem, a bigger flower and ovary,
Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Bolivia, another colour of flower, less ribs and
the wife of the first author. [Fig.29]. spines. Important also is an effective
Conservation status: We observed geological barrier between the areas of
plants of G. ponomarevae in a high- these taxa – two mountain ridges (Sierra
altitude zone to the west of El Alto de Ancasti and Sierra Graciana).
about 10–13 kilometers in meridian The authors express their gratitude to
direction. This is not an agricultural G. Charles (England), N. Schelkunova
area, but local people use this district as and N. Ponomareva (Moscow), L.
a pasture of cattle [Fig.30] so it would be zaitseva (Chelyabinsk), V. Schädlich
better to give it currently a Near (Germany) for assistance in preparation
Threatened (NT) status – likely to of this work for publication; N. Gapon,
become endangered in the near future. S. Batov (Moscow) and S. Chikin (Perm)
Comparative discussion. for participation in field studies.
G. ponomarevae differs from G. Literature
baldianum by red-pink (versus red- BERCHT, L. (1994), Gymnocalycium
purple) colour of the flowers and the baldianum – seine Synonyme und eine
style position (the base of style is neue Varietät. – Gymnos 11(21): 1–9.
submerged into the ovary), has more CHARLES, G. (2009), Gymnocalycium in
ribs (16–20 versus 6–9), more spines (9– habitat and culture. – Stamford, U.K.: 98–
11 versus 5–7), a larger receptacle and 101.
ovary (9–13 x 5–6mm versus 2.5–5 x 2–
4.5mm [Figs.31–33]. It grows at lower NEUHUBER, G. & W. TILL (1999),
altitudes, 1050–1300m versus 1100– Gymnocalycium ×heidiae Neuhuber. Eine
2000m for G. baldianum. neue Nothospecies und ihre
Verbreitung. – Gymnocalycium 12(1)1999:
It differs from G. baldianum var. 275–282.
albiflorum Bercht by more ribs (16–20
versus 9–12), the colour of the flowers TILL, H. & G. NEUHUBER (1998),
(red-pink versus white) and smaller Gymnocalycium baldianum, seine
ovary [Figs.34–35]. Geschichte und seine Synonyme. –
Gymnocalycium 11(1): 233–240.
Perhaps G. ponomarevae has a hybrid
origin and two of the mentioned species Victor Gapon, cactus-club@yandex.ru
could be its ancestry. If so, we have to Gert Neuhuber,
analyze a relationship of G. ponomarevae neuhuber@gymnocalycium.info
with G. × heidiae Neuhuber & W. Till as
53
ELKO COUNTY, NEVADA,

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR 2015

It must be a joy living close to where cacti grow naturally. One such place is Salt
Lake City, Utah. Article and Photographs by Petr Šimon.
The area south of Wendover, Elko near Wendover, so we wanted to check

County, Nevada, USA, will be deeply nearby localities. We selected as many
engraved in my heart for many reasons. rocky places as possible in advance. At
The first is very simple. I have only ever the first locations we visited we only
seen cacti in the US. The second reason found opuntias and bushes.
is a great day I spent with Blake The next place we visited was south
Wellard, a cactus specialist from the of Wendover close to the road 93. We
University of Utah, Salt Lake City. The found many opuntias (Fig.2) again and,
third one, I visited this locality four to our surprise, the first escobarias. It
times in the year 2015 with four was a very dry period of the year, and
different and incredible people (Fig.1). these plants were flattened and almost
My first visit was with Blake in late buried in soil. Even the adult plants
winter (February 8th, 2015). It was my were dry and smaller than usual, almost
very first trip to the desert, and we invisible from a distance. We even
spent there the whole day. A couple of found dry fruits on these plants.
weeks before, Blake had found cacti Opuntias at this locality also appeared
Figure 1: Typical landscape at north-east Nevada.
54
Figure 2: Not very typical Opuntia erinacea in a

very good shape.
Figure 3: Opuntias with usual shape and spination.

Figure 4: Our first escobarias and land overview.
slightly different (Fig.3), both in shape

and in spination.
Based on Blake´s and his friend´s
knowledge, Ecobaria vivipara should not
grow here (Fig.4). The only described
plants in this area are opuntias and
Pediocactus simpsonii. However, we did
not find any pedios.
Throughout the day, we searched for
cacti across flat lands with sagebrush
(Artemisia sp.) and wild horses and over
Figure 5: These clumps of echinocereus were the
steep slopes with juniper (Juniperus sp.) most common.
and pine trees (Pinus sp.). Our last stop
was the exact place of Blake´s night visit stones and rocks with very sparse
a couple weeks prior. This area was vegetation of taller plants. And the most
significantly different from our important to us, there were large
previously visited sites, full of the red numbers of Echinocereus engelmannii
55
Figure 6: Young echinocereus plant with dark Figure 8: This is the goal of all cactus ethusiasts.
spination.
Figure 9: Opuntia from Silver Island Mountains

slopes.
Figure 10: Echinocereus from Elko County, Ne-

vada.
Figure 7: A slightly hairy plant with yellowish and
short spination. distribution of echinocerei, variability of
(Fig.5). spination length and colour,
accompanying vegetation and the
We wanted to check this locality
environment in general. This locality is
during the day to discover the
one of the most northern for
56
Figure 11: The amount of plants on this locality was breathtaking.
Echinocereus engelmanii, and the plants

were highly variable. For instance, some
had one head while others were
growing in clumps (Fig.6).
The plants were also quite varied in
spination length, quantity and colour.
With colours ranging from almost
whitish, through light-yellow, brown,
golden, to dark-brown, purple and
practically black (Fig.7).
The spination character showed Figure 12: Opuntia close to Silver Range Moun-
variations such as a strong central spine, tains, Tooele County, Utah.
very dense spines, straight or bent saw many excellent cacti and enjoyed a
spines, and even an excellent plant great time out of the city.
looking similar to Parodia maxima from My second visit (March 28th, 2015) to
South America (Fig.8). this area was a hiking trip with my
This February visit south of friend zhesen Tan to Silver Island
Wendover, Elko County, Nevada, was Mountains, Tooele County, Utah (Fig.9).
my first experience with cactus plants in We wanted to reach Graham Peak
the US. It was a great, sunny day in the (2305m alt.), and I hoped to find cacti
dry desert, with hot weather and cold around, too. From the peak, we had a
wind in the shade. Thanks to Blake, I great overlook of the Bonneville Salt
57
Figure 13: Opuntia from the same locality with a Figure 14: Sclerocactus pubispinus with bud, Elko
different flower colour. County, Nevada.
was warmer and even drier than my

first visit. We saw Echinocereus
engelmannii, Escobaria vivipara and
Opuntia erinacea in very good shape
with no significant marks on the buds.
Then I visited the surroundings of
Wendover again with my wife Anna
during late May (May 25th, 2015). After
stopping at the Bonneville Salt Flats, we
wanted to check the Silver Range
Mountains that are north of Wendover.
The slopes were covered in flowering
opuntias all around (Fig.12).
The colours of the flowers ranged
from light yellow to pinkish and purple
tones (Fig.13).
Figure 15: Escobaria from the same locality in Ne- Our last stop was again where Blake
vada.
found echinocerei. We hoped to see
Flats (1285m alt.). Among others, the Echinocereus engelmannii in bloom. We
salt flats are known for high speed had enough time to study the larger
competitions, a salt source, and the area in detail. We also wanted to find
brine shrimp industry. species other than echinocerei and
We found opuntias, but I wanted to ecobarias. After a short walk, not far
show the beauty of other cacti to a away from the places we visited with
cactus non-enthusiast. Therefore, we Blake or zhesen, we really found a
decided to go directly to the locality “new“ species, Sclerocactus pubispinus
south of Wendover where I has seen (Fig.14). This species is native to
echinocerei. I was again amazed by the northeast Nevada and the middle of the
beauty of this locality, and the weather Nevada Utah border.
58
Figure 17: Sclerocactus pubispinus with the rest of

flower (the same plant as Fig. 14), Elko County,
Nevada.
Figure 16: Echinocereus engelmannii in flower,

Elko County, Nevada.
To our surprise, we only found one
young and one adult plant of
Sclerocactus pubispinus with a small bud
after half a day‘s search. However, we
studied many Escobaria vivipara plants
with old fruits and new buds (Fig.15).
But the highlight of this trip was Figure 18: Echinocereus and insect beetle, Elko
finding our desired echinocerei in County, Nevada.
bloom. In comparison with the previous comparison with the colourless spring.
spination variability, these flowers were
My last visit to this locality was on
almost uniform in size, shape, and even
Saturday August 29th, 2015. It was a day
colour. Though the flowering period
trip with my Czech friend from
was only just beginning, the locality was
University. He is tourist enthusiast and
amazing (Fig.16).
great hiker, so he wanted to understand
I walked with my wife around places what I am talking about all the time on
I visited before. It was a nice change in weekdays and why I can spend entire
59
Figure 19: Escobaria (PS26), Wendover, Elko County, Nevada.

weekends looking for cacti. We walked around and hiked all the
We decided to spend the entire day at peaks in the close proximity. We found
the best echinocereus locality south of a new distribution of echinocerei and
Wendover. We tried to find and study escobarias. The escobaria fruit was
fruits on all possible species. The first usually hidden deeply in the plant, but
was a sclerocactus area with two we could study seeds (Fig.19). On the
individuals, adult and young plant other hand, the fruits and parts of the
(Fig.17). When my wife and I found the flowers had been eaten. There were also
same plants in May, they had buds. various dead bugs around plants.
Now, the adult plant had flowers In comparison with my previous
without fruit and seeds. articles from other localities, at this area,
I hoped to find some echinocereus I experience full sun with much drier
seeds to study since there were and windier weather. The rocky
countless plants. We checked a large localities were very dry, and the plants
amount of plants. However, the only were not very hydrated even at the
things we found were flower remains beginning of the spring growing season.
and bugs (Fig.18). Petr Šimon
60
FIELD OBSERVATIONS AND

THREATENING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS OF
ECHINOFOSSULOCACTUS SULPHUREUS
(DIETR.) MEYRÁN
Jaroslav Záhora, Pedro Najéra Quezada, Jose Luis Flores Flores, Arturo Pascalín
Colín, and Jan Říha tell us the fascinating story of E. sulphureus and its habitat.
The invasion of alien grasses is a threat to many cactus habitats and here is a well-
illustrated account of its devastating effect on the environment
The reason for using the generic name Surely there are many reasons why the
Echinofossulocactus should be one important application of the genus Echinofossulocactus is
thing mentioned in advance. The first author is so difficult. But it is certainly not applicable to
grateful to all co-authors, who would E. sulphureus. Its identification is very simple.
otherwise have preferred to use a different The most important features include small pale
name for the genus, for being so kind as to be yellow flowers, and its clustering ability of
able to tolerate the name Echinofossulocactus adult plants by sprouting from the base of the
according the last recommendation by Lodé stem. Moreover, their appearance at the
(2015) with regard to the fact that this joint locality is relatively uniform which is quite in
work is not focused on taxonomy. contrast with other Echinofossulocactus species
from their habitats. Only in the stage without
Figure 1 Echinofossulocactus sulphureus at the locality near La Vega, Querétaro (28th Februrary 2010).
That similar sights could please us in the future as well as our children is a common hope of all authors…
61
Table 1 The main differences between E. sulphureus and E. lamellosus based on field observation of many
wild populations and from cultivation.
General E. sulphureus (Dietr.) Meyrán E. lamellosus (Dietr.) Br. & R.

Information (N 89.282, La Vega, Querétaro) (N 87.003 Hualula, Hidalgo)
Stem: young
plants solitary,
later caespitose.
Ribs: generally
± 34 (up to 55)
The plants shown

were growing to-
gether from seeds.
The scales are
identical. Both
plant groups were
separated from
one original
photo. up to 8cm in diameter up to 14cm in diameter
Spination:
The length of the
spines is compara-
ble.
A: dominant form
of spination
B: less common A B A B
pattern of the
cluster of spines Uppermost spine flattened Colour of spines more variable
Flower:
pale yellow colour
is uniform at the
locality of E. sul-
phureus, while the
intensity of pink-
ish-purple colour
of E. lamellosus is
variable
up to 2.5cm in diameter up to 4.5cm in diameter
62
Figure 2 Typically solitary growing Echinofossulo- Figure 3 Beginning of the splitting process of the
cactus anfractuosus on limestone outcrops near vegetative apex of E.crispatus growing near Mex-
Santa Teresa Devoxthá, Hidalgo (18th February ico D.F. Photograph: Jose Sanchéz
2005). Photograph: J. Záhora
Figure 5 The resulting appearance of a thus cre-

Figure 4 Dichotomically splitting stem of E.crispa- ated cluster of E.crispatus is a well evolved adapta-
tus growing near Mexico D.F. tion for pastures. Photograph: Jiří Horal
Photograph: Jose Sanchéz near Concepción Buenavista, Oaxaca.
Figure 6 Flowering E. crispatus growing near Mex-

ico D.F. (January 2017) Photograph: Jose Sanchéz
Figure 7 Flowering E.crispatus growing near Mex-
ico D.F. (January 2017) Photograph: Jose Sanchéz
63
Figure 9 Much more successful in creating of such

“anti-erosion measures” for collecting small stones,
Figure 8 The clustering ability by sprouting from
sand, silt and clay material as well as particles of
the base of the stem of E. sulphureus of adult
organic matter is Mammillaria compressa. There
plants is probably better adaptation for steep rocky
are also two small E. sulphureus in the lower left
cliffs in their habitat. Photograph: J. Záhora
corner. Photograph: J. Záhora
Figure 10 Top view on the “riches” accumulated in Figure 11 Not too reasonable “capturing” of stony
“collecting pocket” by the same cluster of M. com- material by E. sulphureus. Photograph: J. Záhora
pressa. Photograph J. Záhora
Figure 12 Created “collecting pocket” made by the Figure 13 Similar growth strategy was seen in E.
E. sulphureus cluster with a beautiful spination. lamellosus 20km in a northly direction from the lo-
Photograph: J. Záhora cality of E. sulphureus on limestone rocks (top
view). Photograph: J. Záhora
64
Figure 14 Side view of a big group of E. lamellosus with closed flowers trapped in a tuft of Selaginella sp.
The locality is the same as the previous picture. Photograph: J. Záhora
Figure 15 This clustering strategy is also a great competitive advantage in spreading E. lamellosus into
secondary pastures near El Portugués, Querétaro. Photograph: Jiří Horal.
65
the flowers could E. sulphureus be confused is one of the most difficult to distinguish
with the more robust E. lamellosus, less likely representatives of the former taxonomic unit
with the never sprouting E. anfractuosus (Fig. 2) called "Costis membranacea-compressis"
or with E. crispatus with a slightly curved assembled at that time into a group of
central spine, and if clustering then in a Echinocactus and that "without the flower it is
dichotomous way as an exception in the genus impossible to distinguish between E. arrigens;
Echinofossulocactus (Figs.3, 4, & 5). Key E. crispatus and E. tetraxiphus". It was regarding
differences between E. sulphureus and E. the original plants, which were delivered
lamellosus are summarized in Table 1 because initially to Mr. Karl Ehrenberg directly from
both species are growing in the vicinity. Mexico. The species name caught attention
It's been 171 years when the unusual sulfur- immediately, and directly in the following year
colour of the flowers was first observed on it was cited again as Echinocactus sulphureus by
plants imported from nature. It attracted the Mr. Theodore Rümpler in the book: Carl
attention of Dr. Albert Dietrich, the editor of Friedrich Förster’s Handbuch der Cacteenkunde.
the gardening magazine Allgemeine About the fate of these plants subsequently
Gartenzeitung, so much so, that he described in proclaimed these Messrs: Salm-Dyck,
1845, in the 22nd issue of the 13th edition of Schumann, Britton & Rose and Backeberg. At
that magazine, the new species, as Echinocactus that time, knowledge of the isolated locality
sulphureus. In the explanation he noted that it was clearly missing and the diversity of the
Figure 16 A specimen of E. sulphureus nearly 30 years old (N 89.282). The plant originated from the origi-
nal seeds collected by Helmut Nagl, Austrian cactus enthusiast, from the location in the Canyon that was
flooded in 1995 by Zimapan reservoir dam. Photograph: J. Záhora
66
flower colour was not seen as a sufficient the zimapan reservoir dam supplying the
diagnostic feature. Consequently, all the above Mexican capital with drinking water.
mentioned authors in unison doubted the E. sulphureus from the locality near La Vega
validity of the name E. sulphureus and assigned was until recently considered to be extinct. In
this species to the then known species 1990 I got from Helmut Nagl a few seedlings
Echinofossulocactus gladiatus, E. lamellosus or E. from this population with a warning about
anfractuosus. Much later, from 1961 till 1977, their extraordinary rare value. Today, they are,
were even three localities of E. sulphureus as shown in the accompanying photo (Fig. 16),
discovered due to the activities of Hernando flowering and fruiting individuals. In 2009, the
Sanchez-Mejorada, Felipe Otero and finally meticulous and tireless cactus hobbyist Jiří
Jorge Meyrán. The last named botanist Horal discovered directly above the zimapan
recombined the species among the members of dam the continuation of the E. sulphureus
the genus Echinofossulocactus (for more population from the valley. It seemed that this
information see Cact. Suc. Mex. XXII: 36–40, species had survived the filling of the dam. At
1977). first, it was amazing to see supposedly extinct
In 1989, Helmut Nagl from Austria found plants as alive and flowering specimens . This
an additional population near La Vega (N location is also exceptional in that there are
89.282). But it was, unfortunately, at the Mammillaria scheinvariana still growing there,
bottom of the valley of the river Moctezuma , reportedly the only cactus, which was
in a place that was later, in 1995, flooded by discovered from a boat, because it helped to
Figure 17 The view from the locality of both E. sulphureus and M. scheinvariana on a steep wall above the
Zimapan dam water level where their flooded habitats were in the past. Photograph: J. Záhora
67
TheCactus
The Cactus Explorer
Explorer ISSN 2048-0482
ISSN 2048-0482 Number
Number1818March
April 2017
Figure 19 A romantic as well as frightening view on

the access path on the last visit (2016). After six
Figure 18 The rocky outcrop was formerly covered
years the path was hopelessly closed by foreign
with a sparse vegetation, but in January 2016 was
grass from both sides. The worst is that the com-
overgrown by compact stands of invasive grass
pact grass stands do not allow the penetration of
Melinis repens. Photograph: J. Záhora
sunlight. Photograph: J. Záhora
Figure 20 The rate of overgrowing the locality is Figure 21 Or it is possible to compare the appear-
evident when comparing the appearance of an ac- ance of the locality 6 years ago, in 2010.
cess path in 2010. Photograph: J. Záhora Photograph: J. Záhora
Figure 23 Previously abundant clusters of E. sul-

phureus are now only in the most extreme bare
habitats. They are also exposed to changes in mi-
Figure 22 And what it looked like in January 2016. croclimatic and soil conditions due to the presence
Photograph: J. Záhora of invasive grasses, and to the consequent in-
creased susceptibility of cacti to fungal infections or
other pest infestations. Photograph: J. Záhora
68
Figure 24 This is an unequal, unfair competition. Figure 25 Co-existence of cacti and grasses is
Photograph: J. Záhora hardly imaginable. Pictured in the middle is a
mummy of a E. sulphureus cluster. The accumu-
lated nutrients will then be successfully recycled by
grasses. Photograph: J. Záhora
Figure 26 (upper from 2010) and 27 (below from Figure 28 (upper from 2010) and 29 (below from
2016). Comparison of the status of Mammillaria 2016). Comparison of the state of Mammillaria
hofmanniana trapped in the tree trunk of Gochnatia compressa (left) and M. hofmanniana (right) which
hypoleuca after six years. The way to avoid the in- was unable to survive. Additionally, in the rock grew
vasion of the grasses? Photographs J. Záhora. up new grass. Photographs: J. Záhora.
69
Figure 31 The seed bank of the grass M. repens

on the floor determines the fate of this habitat.
Figure 30 In January 2016, we have been unable Photograph: J. Záhora
to find even one M. scheinvariana in the grass
stands. This image dates from 2012.
Photograph: J. Záhora
Figure 33 The real scenery with E. sulphureus,

whose rocky background will be used in the next
four compilations for simulation and clarification of
deleterious processes which occur at the locality
Figure 32 Symbolic capture of M. repens seed in nowadays. Photograph: J. Záhora
juvenile spination of young E. sulphureus, which
had just begun to create ribs.
Photograph: J. Záhora
Figure 35 Compilation B: Created “collecting

pocket” for accumulation of small stones, sand, silt
and clay material as well as particles of organic
matter. All this is improving the water and nutrient
Figure 34 Compilation A: The rocks in back- regimes in such protosoil and their inhabitants,
ground is colorless in order to stress the interac- friendly micro-organisms inclusive. This can at-
tions between key players. E. sulphureus specimen tracted also growth of Selaginella sp. (at the bot-
starts sprouting. tom).
70
Figure 36 Compilation C: In the next stage the Figure 37 Compilation D: The grass clump wins.
grass M. repens comes on the scene growing up It is able to respond more flexibly to fluctuations
from the caught seeds. Accumulated inorganic and caused by climate change and anthropogenic
organic material speeding up not only the growth of loads. It can survive any extreme long periods of
M. repens, but also the decomposition processes drought in the form of seeds whose large numbers
which make more nutrients available. E. sul- are permanently produced.
phureus is no more competitive enough, and is
partly dying. organic compounds and energy between roots,
soil micro-organisms and soil body. Ultimately
make accessible the vertical rocky cliffs above it may even be an increase in the carrying
the level of the dam (Weightman, 2003). After capacity of the environment.
filling the dam M. scheinvariana has also long The reminiscences of Jan Říha
been considered as disappeared. In 2012,
however, a few plants have been found that I have known this area since 1977, when I,
proved that this Mammillaria remained together with Rudolf Šubík, Hernándo
preserved in the nature (záhora et al., 2012; see Sánchez Mejorada, Jorge Meyrán García, and
Fig. 30). On January 7th, 2016, we visited the others visited this area, then again in 1979 and
location for the last time. It appears that 1981.
neither M. scheinvariana nor E. sulphureus have At that time, the dam was only under
won. The location was literally overgrown by construction and it was possible to reach into
the aggressive invasive African grass Melinis the deep canyon from the Cd. zimapan
repens in whose shadow all perishing. We through Barranca de Toliman. In the deep
observed the impact of M. repens not only on canyon flowed then only a very small river Rio
the Mammillaria, but against all the species in
the ecosystem, even Opuntia and Myrtillocactus
have a hard time dealing with associated
Melinis. We also noted that it was not only the
presence of invasive grass, but also the lack of
grazing what permitted this inundation to take
over on a large scale.
Thus extremely rapid invasion of exotic
grasses is a disaster for the irreplaceable native
local flora, but in terms of thermodynamics
and ecology it is the only natural response to
the new offer of available nutrients. These will
be capitalized differently in live and dead Figure 38 Hernándo Sánchez Mejorada (left), and
plant parts and that will initiate another stage author of the reminiscences, Jan Říha.
of "rhizospheric market", another trade with Photograph from the archive of Jan Říha.
71
Table 2: The main reasons for the better competitive ability of Natal grass, M. repens.
E.. sulphureus (Dietr.) Meyrán Melinis repens (Willd.) zizka
Above ground part of the plant Above ground part of the plant
Dry and wet atmospheric deposition of key nu- Overshadowing discriminates plants living on
trients (N, S, P, Ca, Mg, K, …) is expected to be the soil surface which demand intensive sun-
considerably lower because of the smaller sur- shine like cacti.
face area for collecting atmospheric pollutants Even standing death can collect higher amounts
than that is exposed by above ground plant bio- of dry and wet atmospheric deposition com-
mass of M. repens. Despite the lower level input pared with cactus plants.
of nutrients from atmospheric depositions they In addition, the grasses are generally phyloge-
are too high for E. sulphureus demands, and can netically younger, cleverly hiding meristematic
paradoxically destabilize their health status. tissue beneath, and exposing to the sun only
The more conservative strategy of E. sulphureus mature tissue unlike cacti, which must protect
focused on collecting water for overcoming a their intricately vegetation apex with spines
drought period is no longer successful enough and apex wool. This ability even more favours
for plant competition here. M. repens in different current stress conditions.
Soil and root interactions Soil and root interactions

The nutrients cycles in the soil under the E. sul- High gains of photosynthesis spreaded into the
phureus are decelerated due to low inputs of soil (dark brown arrow) are stimulating rapid
carbohydrates (dark brown arrow), and be- multiplication of other groups of microorgan-
cause of it the nutrition of cacti is based on very isms and consequently intensive transforma-
efficient and well controlled retranslocation of tions of accumulated organic matter. Moreover,
nutrients which needs the presence of highly this tall grass is self-sufficient in a case of a
specialized groups of soil microorganisms. lower amount of soil nitrogen, because it can
Antropogenic nutrient loads can disrupt this employ its own nitrogen-fixing microbial endo-
fragile balance. phytes.
72
Figure 39 Hernándo Sánchez Mejorada (right) and Figure 40 Jorge Meyrán García (right) and
Jorge Meyrán García photographed in 1977 on the Hernándo Sánchez Mejorada photographed from a
roof of the Meyrán´s house before departure on a different perspective in the same situation as on
joint journey to Querétaro. the previous photo.
Photo from the archive of Jan Říha. Photo from the archive of Jan Říha.
Moctezuma, meaning it was a time of drought. the canyon, both on the east and on the west
It was an extraordinarily amazing area sides. From Cadereyta Montes it was possible
regarding the occurrence of plants. Plants we to get to the bottom of the canyon of the Rio
found growing there were a dwarf form of Moctezuma where on steep rocks grew
Strombocactus disciformis, two species of hundreds of Echinocactus grusonii, rare
Echinofossulocactus, Echinocereus, several Mammillaria herrerae, common M. elongata and
Mammillaria species, and other succulents; others. The main and more convenient access
Agave, Echeveria, Sedum, Pinguicula, and others. was otherwise from zimapan. At that time
The bottom of the canyon was almost in deep there were wonderful completely untouched
shade, sunlight getting there only when sun landscapes with thousands of cacti in different
was directly above, plants on the steep walls vegetation types.
grew there, even though dry, but with high air Short notes from Jorge Meyrán García
humidity. Among others, we found there also
Echinofossulocactus sulphureus, respectively In December 1969, Mr. Felipe Otero gave me
similar plants that were found later at the top one or two specimens of this genus, the species
edge of the canyon. J. Meyran was already at of sulphureus. One of them still lives in my
that time working on re-evaluation of this collection (Figs. 41, 42 & 43 on the next page;
genus. We have had long discussions ... which were photographed in January, 2017).
compared with today's level of knowledge, it On the 19th of March 1977, we went together
was incomparably poor. As well, the with Jan Říha and others (see above) to the
Mammillaria scheinvariana was at that time beginning of the Toliman Canyon, in the state
already known to us from the canyon. It is of Hidalgo, where we found this species with
doubtful that it was discovered from a boat on their yellow flowers growing among many
the dam lake, this statement is just the kind of other succulents, such as Echinocactus
inventiveness of subsequent followers of the platyacanthus, Stenocereus dumortieri,
first discoverers. However, it is a fact that we Myrtillocactus geometrizans, Echinocereus
didn´t pay sufficient attention to any of these cinerascens, Coryphantha clava, Mammillaria
plants. With Léia Scheinvar and H. Sánchez- compressa, Dolichothele longimamma, Opuntia
Mejorada, we intended to spend more time imbricata, O. stenopetala, O. cantabrigiense,
studying this area, but the co-operation with Pachyphytum glutinicaule, Agave striata. On the
Inst. de Biologia was at that time a little stifled. upper parts, we could see Astrophytum
ornatum, Dasylirion acrotriche, Hechtia argentea,
We have been repeatedly on the top edge of Agave albicans and Yucca filifera.
73
Figure 42 A new sprout growing from the same

plant as is documented in Fig. 41
Photograph: Javier Castañón.
Figure 41 Almost fifty(!) years old original plant of

“sulphureus” from Felipe Otero. Photographed in
the collection of Jorge Meyrán García in January
2017. Photograph: Javier Castañón.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express many Figure 43 The yellow flower buds preparing in Jan-
thanks to all those who helped us, particularly uary 2017 for the current vegetation season (the
to Helmut Nagl, Jorge Meyrán García, Harald same plant as is documented in Fig. 41).
Perndl, Vojtěch Myšák, Jose Sanchez, Javier Photograph: Javier Castañón.
Castañón, Pavel Pavlíček, Jiří Horal, Jaroslav
Bohata as well as for the financial support MEYRÁN, JORGE, GARCíA (1977)
given to the first author for the study trip Echinofossulocactus Sulphureus, Comb. Nov.
offered by the Mendel University in Brno, Cact. Suc. Mex XXII(2): 36–40.
Czech Republic in 2015/2016. Special thanks WEIGHTMAN, BILL (2003): Mammillaria
should be given to Graham Charles for his scheinvariana submerged. BCSJ Vol. 21: 45–
kind help with improving the English text. 48.
zÁHORA, JAROSLAV, MATUzSEWSKI, GRzEGORz, &
References MYŠÁK ,VOJTěCH (2012): Mammillaria
DIETRICH, ALBERT (1845): Echinocactus scheinvariana rediscovered? The Cactus
sulphureus. Allg. Gartenztg. 13(22): 170. Explorer 5: 45–48.
LODé, JOëL (2015): Taxonomy of the Cactaceae
(Vol. 1), Barcelona, Spain, p.668.
74
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77
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bution and morphologic
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a s
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Das kleinste Gymnocalyc n s e.
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Provinz
carolinense (Neuhuber) San Luis,
Gymnocalycium carolinense The smallest Gymnocalyc
wurde
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Neuhuber, Luis, Gymnocalyci ium in the province
province San
bereits ausführlich bespr (Neuhuber 1994 + 2005) um carolinense
besprochen.
ochen. Die Informatione Neuhuber, has already
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die Verbr
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Eigenschafteten
n über GYMNOCALYCIUM (Neuhuber discussed in detail in
men indes mehr und mehr n der Pflanzen neh- 1994 + 2005). However
zu. Heute kennen wir the informations about
distribu
distribution
lationen die bedeutend
gr
grös
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Popu- the plant increase continuouslytion and characteristics of
und auch Sippen die rosa sere Pflanzen beherbergen populations that include . Nowadays we know
of
blühen. (Abb. 1) considerably
cons
de ! Noch im Jahr 2005 wurde species that flower pink iderably bigger plants
wurde and
eu n treten, dass auf der Sierra vom Autor die Meinung ver-
treten, (Fig. 1).
u mfr des Westabhangs
d
dee Portezuelo und am Fuss
lyci r üübbeer der Sierra de
Comechingones Gym Back in 2005 the
author held the opinion
noca en wi iiee w
- Gymnocalycium bru that
Gy m richt ndor f, d B
found in the Sierra de
uchii
chii (S((Sp
Speg
S
Sppeg.) Ho
Hosseus could be
Liebe be ben Eu ge im Portezuelo and at the
usga ung in i Eu ge rade ab western slopes of the Sierra foot of the
n A Au t, ge ab de Comechingones. Detailed
nde mnotag gsarbei ns lliiegt, f resear
esearch
ch made evident, that
iege t. Gy
rlie G y sc hu n r un
u ha monvillei (L not only Gymnocalyci
r vo 23 3. In or h vo issensc h n (Lem.) Britton um
In de uf de
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on W tiig gt ssii s
Verla gt h haat, w rsuchu tzung v eschäf lycium
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i e e b
be a from the Sierra de San L
from
geze NA Unt ine Ve Vern uhuber ymnoc Pub the western
western slopes of the Sierra uis to
de Comechingones (Fig.
D
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r t Ne en Gy G
hlrei
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t. Ge t be annt En
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gu hiist n re Bercht and
dlää
Feldl e i n ba z u sc
sc
di
die
d e h
u ngg– in the Sierra de Portezuelo,the author discovered
discovered plants
h ch in the east of the province
de m
sc es da ih m
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ohl haat, gi gibt er Feld rischen errb recorded in the locality
recor
Obw ben h ic h d
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de r
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n Pfl sp reud fre
flowering specimen of G
. carolinense in
dere eb. sub n viel F un uns am
in the Sierra de San Luis
.
k e n m2
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w ü n nd w ü u g e nd Hosseus zu finden sei.
Wir n un u in Eu
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Se bö d ür fen nur die Verbr
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rü
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rf bis an den Westabhang
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hle se E reist
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Nac Ja h r m d Ludwig Bercht
Bercht und der Autor Abb. 2: Es
Es ve
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diieser P
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Im süsü
http://www.gymnocalycium.at
www.gymnocalycium.info
.gymnocalycium.info
> dha.gymno@aon.at <
78
RESOURCES IN THE CSSA ARCHIVES

The Cactus and Succulent Society of America has a long and distinguished history.
Chuck Staples, CSSA Historian, describes the valuable contents of the Society’s archives.
The archives is a web page designed initially issue for research purposes by botanists,
in 2012 by Gunnar Eisel, CSSA General Manager, taxonomists or other interested parties or (c)
for historical material compiled by Chuck art works from various issues — all back to
Staples, CSSA Historian. The web page was 1929.
updated with a new look in February 2017 with HASELTONIA: Choice of (a) all articles and
the help of computer guru Bob Jewett. To view authors from each issue or (b) publication
the updated web page you need visit date of each issue for research purposes by
www.cssainc.org then click on Archives which botanists, taxonomists or other interested
will take you to the home page of the archives. parties — all back to its inception in 1993.
Here is an explanation of each item shown on the
archives face page as you click your way through AFFILIATES: Choice of (a) a listing of various
the item(s) you wish to look at. regional conferences with locations, speakers,
etc., from the most current even year and each
CSSA HISTORIES even year back to the first year for each region
BOARD MEMBERS & OTHER POSITIONS: A or (b) histories of various societies.
historical listing of board members and other MISCELLANEOUS 1: Choice of (a) time line of
positions appointed by the board of directors CSSA firsts or (b) newsletter archives.
— from the current year and each year all the
way back to 1929 (beginning of CSSA). OTHER HISTORIES
PRESIDENTS: A choice of (a) CSSA Presidents in IMPORTANT SUCCULENTISTS: Choice of (a)
alphabetical order with year(s) of presidency short biographical sketches of some of the
and awards, or (b) images of presidents from people (25 so far) that have dedicated much of
the current year back to 1929. their lives to the cactus and succulent plant
world or (b) images related to those people.
EDITORS: A choice of (a) CSSA Editors in
alphabetical order with year(s) as an editor MOVERS AND SHAKERS OF THE CACTUS &
and the periodical they were editor of or (b) SUCCULENT PLANT WORLD: This is a list
images of editors from the current year back of people and where you can find
to 1929, along with the periodical they were biographical data about them in various
involved with. English language publications.
CONVENTIONS: A listing of biennial PLANTS: History of cactus and succulent plant
conventions with locations, speakers, etc., species.
from the most current odd year and each odd MISCELLANEOUS 2: Choice of:
year back to the first in 1941.
(a) Cactus and Succulent Society or club
HONOUR AWARDS: Choices of CSSA awards founding dates.
for (a) Fellow, (b) Special Service, (c) Superior
(b) Cactus and Succulent people calendar
Service, (d) Friend, (e) Myron Kimnach
birthdays.
Lifetime Achievement or (f) Conservation.
Click on the special award you wish to look (c) Ed and Betty Gay guest book of signatures.
at, then click for a choice of (i) awards in (d) Some deceased authors.
alphabetical order which gives you names and (e) Etymology of Succulent Genera erected by
year of awards or (ii) reasons for awards with Carolus Linnaeus.
images of awardees from current all the way (f) Larry Mitich 3x5" card file.
back to the first award of each award type.
(g) Succulentists and their transportations.
JOURNAL: Choice of (a) all articles and authors
from each issue, (b) publication date of each Charles J. Staples
79
PLANTS AND SEEDS FOR SALE

Your place to advertise spare plants, seeds, journals, books etc. FREE!
Entries are free so please send me the text of your advert which can include
links to a web page or an on-line document.
Still time to
buy seeds!
Seeds from Aymeric de Barmon (The picture above is his glasshouse)

ADBLPS produces more than 75% of the seeds offered, mostly cacti. Greenhouses and processes
are designed to ensure production of pure seeds. The year of harvest and specific information are
provided for more than 2000 items. Look at http://www.adblps-graines-cactus.com
Many germination rates from customers are available at http://www.semeurs-de-cactus.fr
80
Seeds of Chilean Cacti František Nechvil Seeds

Collected in habitat or in my collection. I offer cactus seeds of first-rate quality,
Visit our website to download our lists: all from my own collection.
http://www.cactusalvaralto.com/nosotros/ Go to my website to see this extensive
offering of seeds from Czech republic.
If you are in Chile, you are welcome to visit
my collection by appointment. Pavel Pavlicek
New seed list for 2015/2016
Ingrid Schaub, Olmué, Chile
http://www.cact.cz/semena-seeds-prodej-a15
email: ricardokeim@gmail.com
Plants offer: http://www.cact.cz/nabidka-ros-
tlin-jaro-2014-a16
Seeds from Ralf Hillmann
New seed list available in December.

All seeds are from habitat source or
pollinated in my own collection.
Specialising in Aylostera, Mediolobivia,
Rebutia, Sulcorebutia, Lobivia, Echinopsis,
Gymnocalycium, Notocactus, Cereoids, Bercht Seed List
Opuntiae, Mesembs, Puya, Crassulaceae etc. Already familiar to many of you, for others a voyage
For more information please contact of discovery. Many seeds you are looking for can be
found in this seed list. A large number of the seeds is
sulcohilli@gmx.ch provided with well known and reliable habitat infor-
mation or with a field number.
A comprehensive list of seeds from the Czech The list specialises in South American cacti such as
Republic: Acanthocalycium, Echinopsis, Frailea, Lobivia, Mediolo-
bivia, Notocactus, Rebutia, Sulcorebutia, Weingartia and
http://www.cactus-hobby.eu Wigginsia, but above all an almost complete selection
of Gymnocalycium. Furthermore, you can also find
An extensive seed list from Prochazka, strong many seeds of North American cacti in this list.
on Mexican cacti: www.bercht-cactus.nl
http://www.kaktusy.com
The new offer of the seeds (mostly with Mesa Garden

locality data) is available from Jan Jecminek P.O. Box 72, Belen, New Mexico, USA
on his website:
Large list of Cactus and Succulent seeds,
www.cactus-succulent.com
particularly strong on Mexican and U.S.
Lifestyle Seeds
Now under the new management
of Aaron and Tarah Morerod.
Note the new emil address
Supplier of South African seeds
Succulents, caudiciform plants and bulbs.
Web: http://www.lifestyleseeds.co.za
http://www.mesagarden.com
email: info@lifestyleseeds.co.za email: mesagarden@swcp.com
81
Mondocactus Echinocereus Online Services

Mature Choice Cacti Echinocereus Online Shop
www.echinocereus.biz
Seeds Martina & Andreas Ohr
Books Ackerstrasse 30
Calendars D 90574 Rosstal, Germany
Plants Phone: +49 (9127) 577388
Fax: +49 (9127) 577399
email: versandhandel@echinocereus.biz
SEEDLIST of 325 forms of Echinocereus
Mondocactus produces succulent plants Wholesale requests welcome – Online Shop in

belonging to rare, threatened and endangered German and English – Easy PayPal Payment or Bank
species. Many of the plants are provided with transfer – Special discounts on Book Sets
detailed information regarding their natural
Echinocereus Duke Benadom
origin. €63.90 plus shipping
Mondocactus is the virtual store of De
Rerum Natura Nursery, for the sale of rare The Amazing Flowers of Echinocereus dasyacanthus
M & A Ohr €36.90 plus shipping
and not so rare succulent plants since 2013 in
San Lazzaro di Savena (Bologna, Italy). See The Brilliant Echinocereus of Orogrande M & A Ohr
the website, also in English: €19.90 plus shipping
http://www.mondocactus.com
Echinocereus Online Web
www.echinocereus.de
The Genus – Culture – Habitat – Field Numbers –
News – Echinocereus Index – Literature – Publications
– Links – Geo information – Herbarium –
Supplementary information
Echinocereus pectinatus www.pectinatus.de

Online shop for Cacti, Succulents and other Flower galleries of Echinocereus pectinatus
Exotic plants. We offer a good range of plants,
seeds and accessories.
Seedlings of Rare Cacti
email: info@cactusplaza.com
http://www.cactusplaza.com
Rare cacti and succulents.

Grown outdoors almost all year round in our
Italian nursery.
Visit our website with many good pictures.
(also English language)
Mail order only.
82
Opuntia Web.
Richard and Wendy Edginton

The Nurseries, Station Road, Flordon,
Norwich, Norfolk, NR15 1QR UK
We stock a wide range of cacti from North and This website about the opuntias of the USA
South America, raised from seed at our nursery. has been redone and is better than ever. There
Send a stamped addressed envelope for our list or are 1,500 photographs of the various species
see http://www.cactus-mall.com/rawe/index.html in habitat.
Visitors welcome by appointment- Opuntia and related species (= opuntiads) are
just telephone +44 (0)1508 470153 or email us. unique cacti with unusual shapes and beauti-
ful flowers. Common in parts of the United
States and Mexico; they also occur through-
out most of the Americas. There are over 50
Cactus Shop (formerly Westfield Cacti) have been
species of opuntiads in the United States and
growing and trading in cacti & other succulents since many more in Mexico. Opuntia Web de-
1979 and guarantee speedy delivery of top class scribes opuntias of the United States.
plants www.opuntiads.com
All plants have been grown from seed or cuttings in
Kakteen-Haage
cultivation. Please note that we have just moved to
Devon. http://www.cactusshop.co.uk
William’s CaCtus The oldest cactus nursery

Quality grown rare cacti/succulents Blumenstrasse 68
Craig & Henry Barber
D-99092 Erfurt Germany
11, Brookside Terrace, South Elmsall, http://www.kakteen-haage.com
Pontefract, W. Yorks WF9 2RS England
E-Mail: info@kakteen-haage.com
http://www.williamscactus.co.uk
83
Southfield Nurseries - Cactusland

Bourne Road, Morton, Bourne,
Lincolnshire, PE10 0RH U.K.
Tel: +44 (0)1778 570168
×Chamaelobivia ‘Lincoln Gem’ ×Chamaelobivia ‘Lincoln Firecracker’
×Chamaelobivia ‘Lincoln Pink Diamond’ Echinopsis ‘Bourne Razzle Dazzle’ Echinopsis ‘Shades of Bourne’
Southfield Nurseries, the home of ‘Cactusland’ – the largest cactus nursery in the United Kingdom.
All of our plants are propagated here in our own nursery and we have many thousands of cacti ready potted for
sale; over 750 varieties including many hybrids unique to Cactusland that we have developed ourselves.
Mail order service.
Visitors welcome (please check opening hours)
Enquiries: customer.services@cactusland.co.uk
Website: http://www.cactusland.co.uk
Conophytum Plants
Chris Rodgerson, 35, Lydgate Hall Crescent,
Sheffield S10 5NE England
Nursery grown plants and cuttings.
See my website for information about me, the
plants and a list of plants for sale in season.
email: CR@conophytum.com
Web: http://www.cactus-succulent.com
e-mail: info@cactus-succulent.com
Abbey Brook Cactus Nursery

You are welcome to visit:
Wednesday to Friday 13.00 –16.00
Saturday & Sunday 13.00 – 17.00
Old Hackney Lane, Darley Dale, Matlock,
Derbyshire DE4 2QJ UK
Tel: +44(0)1629 580306
Email: brian@abbeybrookcacti.com
www.abbeybrookcacti.com
84
J & J Cactus and Succulents

Joyce Hochtritt
600 N. Pine St., Midwest
City, OK 73130, USA
Brookside Nursery
(+1) 405-737-1831
Contact address: via della Campana 7, 00048 Nettuno (RM), Italy
Cactibud@cox.net
Website: www.brookside-nursery.com
E-mail: alan-brook-side@hotmail.com
www.jjcactus-succulents.net
Tel: 00-39-335-6159058
We are open to visitors
Visits By Appointment Only

but strictly by prior appointment.
Visit our web site

at www.brookside-nursery.com for more
Corona Cactus Nursery

information and our plant list.
We offer an efficient mail order service and
probably the most comprehensive list
of Sansevierias, and Aloaceae in Europe.
We also stock a wide range of other
• Specializing in collector cacti and succulents

succulents, especially asclepiads,
• Mail Order - We ship to most countries,

euphorbias and caudex plants.
please inquire
The Cactus Man • The majority of our plants are seed grown
Proprietor : John Gander
• Quarterly newsletter, cultivation articles,
Good Selection of Cacti & Succulent Plants photo galleries and more ....
Opuntia Specialist
http://www.coronacactus.com
See Website for Days of Opening & Events
18 Bodgara Way, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 3BJ UK
Connoisseurs’
Email : john@thecactusman.co.uk
Web : www.thecactusman.co.uk
Cacti
ebay: thecactusmanuk
Opuntias (plants & cuttings); large cacti always wanted
Tel : +44(0)7899 002476
Kakteen Niess John Pilbeam’s latest lists of plants and books

Perndorf 108, A-8182 Puch Bei Weiz, Austria http://www.cactus-mall.com/connoisseurs-
Interesting Website and on-line shop cacti/index.html
with a good selection of seedlings, Address for correspondence; John Pilbeam,
particularly Echinocereus 51 Chelsfield Lane, Orpington, Kent, BR5 4HG, UK
PlaNtlife
http://www.kakteen-niess.at/cms
Kakteen - Piltz Cactus & Succulent Nursery

Cacti, Succulents and Seeds Beechwood, 50, Friday Street, Eastbourne,
http://www.kakteen-piltz.de East Sussex, BN23 8AY U.K.
Nursery open for visits. Stuart & Jane Riley
Tel +44(0)1323 761943 FAX +44(0)1323 724973
Monschauer Landstrasse 162,
email: mailto:plantlifenursery@fsmail.net
D-5160 Düren - Birgel, Germany
milenaudisio
● Cactus & succulent Nursery in italy ● seed grown plants
● specializing in Gymnocalycium and lithops ● mail order service
Via Casalgrasso 1/a, 10022 Carmagnola (To) Italy

Web: http://www.milenaudisio.it Email: info@milenaudisio.it
85
Marie’s Pots
Tony Irons Cacti

Have a look at our range
of high quality new and used pots,
BEF, Optipot, Plantpak etc.
Reliable Mail Order Service
17, White Lodge Park,
Portishead, Somerset BS20 7HH web: www.mariespotsdirect.co.uk
Good Quality Home Grown Plants and Imports email: maries.pots.direct@gmail.com
Lithops Plants available online
Plus check out Ebay offers
Visitors welcome by appointment.
Arid Plants
Website: http://www.tonyironscacti.co.uk Many cacti and succulents from arid
email: tonyironscacti@talktalk.net regions around the world.
Small seedlings to specimen plants.
Mail order to UK and Europe

Tel: +44 (0)7973 630359
Plants, Books and Accessories Email: aridplants@fsmail.net
Excellent web site and catalogue Web: http://www.arid-plants.co.uk
www.kuentz.com
Ets. Kuentz - 327 rue du Général Brosset - Visitors welcome by appointment.
83600 Fréjus - FRANCE Colchester, Essex, UK
All of Duke’s books are printed on high-quality 150 GSM, Lumi Silk Art paper, and all are high-quality-hardcover bound.
Duke Benadom’s Superb Succulents is Duke’s Echinocereus is 8! " 11” (22 " Duke’s Southwest Deserts is 8! " 11” (22
8! " 11” (22 " 28 cm) format with 700 28 cm) format with 867 full-color " 28 cm) format with 870 full-color
full-color photographs, 236 pages, based photographs, 500 pages, based on photographs, 384 pages, based on
on the popular, long-running column, decades of personal research on the decades of peregrination throughout our
Superb Succulents as seen in the Cactus genus Echinocereus. southwest deserts.
& Succulent Journal. $59.95 $79.95 $74.95 $74.95
Volume 1 of The Cycads is on cycads of Asia & Australia. It Volume 2 is on cycads of Africa & The Americas. It includes
includes 460 pages and 473 photographs, covering the genera 500 pages and 820 photographs, covering the genera of Dioon,
of Bowenia, Cycas, Lepidozamia, & Macrozamia. Ceratozamia, Encephalartos, Stangeria, & Zamia.
$89.95 $89.95
Cycad volumes are $89.95 each, but are discounted to $154.95 per set (both volumes).
Collector’s editions of Superb Succulents, Echinocereus, & Southwest Deserts are available at www.SuperbSucculents.net for
an additional $30 each. The Collector’s edition is essentially the same as the standard edition, but with foil stamping on the spine and
on the front & back and with 135gsm Egyptian Dynic Saifu cloth over 3mm Graphic Board on the book. There is also a slipcase with
4-color gloss laminate on 130gsm art paper. In summary, it’s the hardbound edition with a special cloth cover, gold or silver foil
imprinting (depending on the cloth color), and with a quality slip case. These sets also come individually shrink wrapped.
86
Order these great books from www.superbsucculents.com
BOOKS FOR SALE

New book: Ceropegias Old and Rare Books

by Dennis de Kock (now available)
I am selling a major part of
62 pages, over 350
colour photos of the my botanical library
wonderful flowers To see the booklist click here
of over 170 species,
including some sub- Bockemuehl@gmx.de
species/varieties. Dr. Jochen Bockemühl,
Includes descrip-
D-97273 Kürnach, Germany
tion references, cul-
tivation notes, maps
of their occurrence,
and bibliography.
Price including
postage:
£30 UK; £35 Europe; £40 rest of world.
GYMNOCALYCIUM
Send sterling cheques drawn on a UK bank,
made payable to John Pilbeam.
Post to John Pilbeam, 51, Chelsfield Lane, IN HABITAT AND CULTURE
Orpington, Kent, BR5 4HG, United Kingdom Copies of my book are still available from
OR pay through PayPal to account: dealers around the world or from me.
jpilbeam@tiscali.co.uk If you would like me to sign it, please ask!
Sorry, card payment not accepted.
Graham Charles Gymno Book Website
CHUCK EVERSON, BOOKSELLER

“Your Cactus Bookstore Specialist”
1444 E. Taylor Street Vista,
CA 92084-3308 USA
Specializing in literature concerning
cacti, succulents, epiphytes, deserts,
bromeliads, hoyas, palms, cycads, and
ornamental plants from around the world.
We have the latest books at the most
reasonable prices.
We also buy and sell previously owned
books on cacti and succulents.
WE SHIP WORLDWIDE. Our 35 years of experience tells you that you
VISA/MASTERCARD IS ACCEPTED. are in good hands.
Check with us for the best possible Tel: 760-758-4290

times to visit. www.cactusbookstore.com
ceversonbooks@cactusbookstore.com
87
Keith’s Cactus Books

For the widest range of books on Cacti and Other Succulents

And a wide range of other plant and gardening books Delivery worldwide
Please visit www.keithscactusbooks.co.uk - As easy to browse as a paper catalogue
Please click on the book image to be directed to my website for details of the book
If you have not already told me and would like to be advised when the next issue of the Cactus
Explorer is available for download, please send me your E-mail address and I will add you to
the distribution list.
88

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The

Number 18 3 Loxanthocereus xylorhizus

ISSN 2048-0482 4 Echinofossulocactus

Regular Features Articles

The Year Ahead The German Cactus Society, the DKG, is to be

NEWS AND EVENTS

A. Castellanos & H. Lelong

BCSS Spalding Branch

Cactus & Succulent

Saturday 22nd April 2017

Holbeach Community Centre,

Friedrich Ritter’s Diaries

The Naturalist’s Travel Page

Our website has free-to-use online talks for your suc-

Cactus and Succulent Society of America Huitzilopchtlia downloads

The Zone 6 Show

The Mammillaria Society BCSS Oxford Branch Show

Piante Grasse Special Cactaceae Systematics Initiatives 35

The latest edition of CSI was published in

Sulcorebutias from the

On-line Journals for you to download free

Sukkulenten (formerly Avonia News)

The 15th issue of this free online journal

THE LOVE OF BOOKS

News of Recent Publications. A Reminder of Old Favourites.

FREE download of The Chileans

SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT

Fig.1 The disturbed habitat of Discocactus zehntneri ssp. petr-halfarii.

Fig.6 Discocactus zehntneri ssp. petr-halfarii at the type locality.

Fig.7 Excavations at the type locality. Fig.8 Plant damaged by excavations.

I was very pleased to receive this References

TRAVEL WITH THE CACTUS EXPERT (17)

Fig.12 The plants of Pediocactus simpsonii were

A BRIEF HISTORY AND VISITS

Fig.4 Healthy mature cactus with multiple flowers

Fig.6 Maikel Pérez next to Melocactus matanzanus

Fig.10 A small Agave legrelliana growing in rocky

Fig.15 Imposing Copernicia macroglossa has recovered its natural space.

Fig.21 Excellent Melocactus matanzanus with

Fig.26 The next generation in preparation.

Fig.25 Melocactus matanzanus of colony 1.

Fig.28 Young Melocactus in colony 1, observe the

Introduction Mature cladodes are about 5–8 inches long,

Fig.4 Opuntia gilvescens cladode, near Bagdad, AZ

Fig.3 Opuntia gilvescens lilac pads in winter, Belen,

Fig.6 Opuntia gilvescens unripe fruit, Albuquerque,

Fig.5 Opuntia gilvescens flower, Albuquerque, NM

GAPON ET NEUHUBER – A NEW SPECIES FROM

Figure 4: Gymnocalycium saglionis var. australe

Figure 2: Road to the top of Sierra de Ancasti in the

Figure 5. Acanthocalycium klimpelianum var.

Figure 3: Cleistocactus baumannii VG-1331, El

Figure 8. Parodia microsperma ssp. sanguiniflora

Figure 7. Cleistocactus smaragdiflorus VG-1272.

Figure 10. Gymnocalycium baldianum aff. VG-988,

Figure 18. Gymnocalycium ponomarevae VG-988

Figure 19. Gymnocalycium ponomarevae has 16–

Figure 20. Gymnocalycium ponomarevae VG-988,

Figure 21. Wintering specimen of Gymnocalycium