Astrophytum capricorne

Astrophytum capricorne, the goat's horn cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae, that is native to the Coahuila regions of Northern Mexico.[2] Growing to 50 centimetres (20 in) tall by 10 centimetres (3.9 in) wide in a ball or oval shape, it is grey-green in colour with 7 to 9 prominent ribs, very long twisted spines and yellow flowers with a red centre in summer.[3]

Astrophytum capricorne
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Astrophytum
Species:
A. capricorne
Binomial name
Astrophytum capricorne
(A.Dietr.) Britton & Rose

The common name of goat's horn cactus corresponds to the species identifier capricorne (capri meaning "goat" and corne meaning "horn") [4] referring to the curved spines that are said to resemble a goat's horns.[2]

This species is designated as of "least concern"[1] by the IUCN as it is widely distributed in the Chihuahuan desert.

Cultivation

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This species is grown, typically from seed, as an ornamental plant as it produces large, attractive yellow flowers with red central regions.[2] Some cultivars bear white flecking on the plant body while others lack this feature.[5] Though tolerant of cold temperatures, it must be grown in a warm, sheltered spot which does not freeze in winter. The soil should be poor, alkaline and very sharply drained. Alternatively it can be grown under glass in a pot with cactus compost. In cultivation in the UK, Astrophytum capricorne has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3]

 
Astrophytum capricorne in flower
 
Astrophytum capricorne var. crassispinum
 
Astrophytum capricorne var. senile

Prominent varieties and cultivars include:

Further reading

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Mandujano, Maria; Bravo, Yolotzin; Verhulst, Johannes; Carrillo-Angeles, Israel; Golubov, Jordan (Feb 2015). "The population dynamics of an endemic collectible cactus". Acta Oecologica. 64: 1–7. Bibcode:2015AcO....63....1M. doi:10.1016/j.actao.2014.12.004.

References

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  1. ^ a b Fitz Maurice, B.; Sotomayor, M.; Fitz Maurice, W.A.; Hernández, H.M.; Smith, M. (2017). "Astrophytum capricorne". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T152404A121473566. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T152404A121473566.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Astrophytum capricorne". www.cactus-art.biz. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  3. ^ a b "RHS Plantfinder - Astrophytum capricorne". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Astrophytum capricorne (A. Dietrich) Britton & Rose | ISI 2016". www.huntington.org. Archived from the original on 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  5. ^ "Astrophytum capricorne - Goat's Horn Cactus | World of Succulents". World of Succulents. 2013-05-07. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
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