Fruits are non-descript and typically are just dried up material surrounding little black seeds. The flowers come out of the center of the plant and most are pinkish-red or white, but can be yellow. In cultivation, on the other hand, admiring growers create ideal conditions for these plants and they are often grown into plump little mounds of green tubercles.Ītypical of cacti, Ariocarpus do not have spines (except when they are seedlings). Extreme conditions keep these plants looking almost dead. In habitat, the star-shaped rosettes are often flat against the ground and may be mostly buried beneath the soil with large taproots underneath. That said, plants in habitat appear much different than those in cultivation. In addition, it is well-known that they are very slow growing and so when enthusiasts see a large plant, they can truly appreciate the achievement, whether it was grown in cultivation or in habitat. The rugged stone-like appearance and geophytic, subterranean bodies of these plants are not only unique among cacti, but quite unique among plants. Nearly all, if not all, cacti enthusiasts have great admiration for the genus, Ariocarpus. The fruits are smooth little pods that are green to purple colored.Įxamples of Acharagma cacti: Acharagma roseanum ssp.galeanense Acharagma roseanum Acharagma aguirreanum Ariocarpus The spines are quite thick and can obscure much of the stem and are less than an inch in length. The flowers are white to red to yellow and the sepals at least have a darker vertical stripe. In fact, the name Acharagma means in Greek “no groove”. These plants have tubercles and flower from the top, which is similar to both Escobaria and Coryphantha, however, they do not have a groove from the areole to the axis. They may be somewhat cylindrical in shape and typically grow as individuals, but may put off several offsets from the bottom. These plants have globose bodies less than 3 inches in diameter and no more than 3 inches high. Two species from Coahuila and Nuevo Leon-Mexico make up the entirety of the Genus Acharagma. This genus occurs in the tropics of Southern Mexico, Central America, Northern South America, the Caribbean and even Florida.Īcanthocereus tetragonus ‘Fairy Castle Cactus’‘ Acharagma Mature fruits are red and globular containing large black seeds in a red pulp. Flower tubes have spines and scales and the fruits may or may not have spines. Spines are thorn-like, that is short and stout. Flowers are white in all species and are nocturnal and at least some species quite fragrant. These stems are distinctly angled with between 3 and 5 ribs although possibly only 2 or as many as 7 in rare cases and may or may not be segmented. These plants are globose to elongate, with numerous ribs on the spiny stems.Įxamples of Acanthocalycium cacti: Acanthocalycium spiniflorum Acanthocalycium thionanthum Acanthocalycium klimpelianum Acanthocalycium glaucum AcanthocereusĪcanthocereus species are primarily sprawling or shrubby plants often with arching stems. The taxon name comes from Greek akantha and kalyx, which refers to the spines on the floral tubes.
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