Micranthocereus dolichospermaticus

Micranthocereus dolichospermaticus is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae. It is endemic to Brazil, where it is confined to the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais. Its natural habitat is rocky areas. It is threatened by habitat loss.[1]

Micranthocereus dolichospermaticus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Micranthocereus
Species:
M. dolichospermaticus
Binomial name
Micranthocereus dolichospermaticus
(Buining & Brederoo) F.Ritter
Synonyms
  • Austrocephalocereus dolichospermaticus Buining & Brederoo 1974
  • Siccobaccatus dolichospermaticus (Buining & Brederoo) P.J.Braun & Esteves 1990

Description

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Micranthocereus dolichospermaticus features a bluish columnar shoot that can reach up to 2 meters in height and 8 centimeters in diameter. It has about 30 slightly humpbacked ribs, with oval areoles covered in bright brown wool. The plant has 6 to 8 straight, protruding central spines that are yellowish and turn gray with age, reaching up to 2.5 centimeters long. The numerous radial spines are 4 to 7 millimeters long. The cephalium can be up to 35 centimeters long and 65 centimeters wide, with white to cream-colored wool up to 4 centimeters long and bright red to dark red bristles up to 5 centimeters long. The cylindrical flowers, which are bright lilac to pink or orange-pink, open at night, measuring up to 2.5 centimeters long and 1.1 centimeters in diameter. The light pink, berry-like fruits are 1.8 centimeters long and 1.4 to 1.6 centimeters in diameter.[2]

Distribution

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Micranthocereus dolichospermaticus is found in the Brazilian state of Bahia, specifically around Bom Jesus de Lapa.

Taxonomy

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Originally described as Austrocephalocereus dolichospermaticus in 1974 by Albert Frederik Hendrik Buining and Arnold J. Brederoo, the species was renamed by Friedrich Ritter in 1979. The name dolichospermaticus comes from the Greek word "dolichos" (long) and the Latin word "spermaticus" (seed-related).[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Machado, M. & Braun, P. (2017). "Siccobaccatus dolichospermaticus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T40909A121500791. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  2. ^ Anderson, Edward F.; Eggli, Urs (2005). Das grosse Kakteen-Lexikon (in German). Stuttgart (Hohenheim): Ulmer. p. 432-433. ISBN 3-8001-4573-1.
  3. ^ "Au Cactus Francophone". Au Cactus Francophone (in French). Retrieved 2024-07-14.