Oroya peruviana

Oroya peruviana is a species of cacti (family Cactaceae), originating from Peru.

Oroya peruviana
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Genus:	Oroya
Species:	O. peruviana
Binomial name
Oroya peruviana (K.Schum.) Britton & Rose 1922
Synonyms
Echinocactus peruvianus K.Schum. 1903 Echinopsis urbis-regum Molinari & Mayta (2015 Oroya baumannii Kníže 1969 Oroya baumannii var. rubrispina Kníže 1968 Oroya gibbosa F.Ritter in Kakteen Südamerika 4: 1512 (1981 Oroya gibbosa var. citriflora Kníže 1969 not validly publ Oroya laxiareolata Rauh & Backeb. in C.Backeberg1956 publ. 1957 Oroya laxiareolata var. pluricentralis Backeb. 1963 Oroya neoperuviana Backeb. in C.Backeberg & F.M.Knuth 1936 Oroya neoperuviana var. depressa Rauh & Backeb. 1956 publ. 1957 Oroya neoperuviana var. ferruginea Rauh & Backeb. 1956 publ. 1957 Oroya peruviana var. baumannii (Kníže) Slaba 1985 Oroya peruviana var. citriflora (Kníže) Slaba 1985 Oroya peruviana var. conaikensis Donald & A.B.Lau 1970 Oroya peruviana var. depressa (Rauh & Backeb.) Slaba 1985 Oroya peruviana var. neoperuviana (Backeb.) Slaba 1985 Oroya peruviana var. pluricentralis (Backeb.) F.Ritter 1981), no full basionym ref Oroya subocculta Rauh & Backeb. in C.Backeberg 1956 publ. 1957 Oroya subocculta var. albispina Rauh & Backeb. 1956 publ. 1957 Oroya subocculta var. fusca Rauh & Backeb. 1956 publ. 1957 Oroya subocculta var. laxiareolata (Rauh & Backeb.) Slaba 1985 Oroya subocculta var. pluricentralis (Backeb.) Slaba 1985

Description

Oroya peruviana usually grows individually with depressed, spherical to short cylindrical, blue-green shoots that reach heights of 5 to 20 cm (2.0 to 7.9 in) with diameters of 10 to 14 cm (3.9 to 5.5 in). There are 12 to 30 rounded, notched and cusped ribs. The white areoles are greatly elongated. The yellowish to reddish brown to dark brown spines are difficult to distinguish between central and peripheral spines. The 1 to 3 central spines are protruding and up to 2 cm (0.79 in) long. The 15 to 24 radial spines arranged in a comb shape are up to 1.5 cm (0.59 in) long.

The flowers often appear densely packed near the shoot tip from young areoles. They are carmine red with a yellowish base and yellowish inside. The flowers are up to 3 cm (1.2 in) long and reach a diameter of 2.2 cm (0.87 in). The short, club-shaped fruits are reddish brown.

Distribution

Oroya peruviana is widespread in the Peruvian regions of Junín, Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Apurímac, and maybe Cusco at altitudes of 3000 to 4300 meters.

Taxonomy

The first description as Echinocactus peruvianus was published in 1903 by Karl Moritz Schumann. Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose placed it in the genus Oroya in 1922.

External links

• Media related to Oroya peruviana at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Oroya peruviana at Wikispecies