Ferocactus gracilis, the fire barrel cactus, is a species of Ferocactus from Northwestern Mexico.[2] This cactus gets its common name from the striking red coloration of its defensive spines and flowers.
| Ferocactus gracilis | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Genus: | Ferocactus |
| Species: | F. gracilis
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| Binomial name | |
| Ferocactus gracilis H.E. Gates 1933
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| Synonyms | |
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Description edit
Ferocactus gracilis is a solitary cactus that grows up to 3 meters tall, with cylindrical or spherical stems reaching heights of up to 150 centimeters and diameters of 30 centimeters. It has deep green stems with 16 to 24 slightly tuberculated ribs. The areoles are light gray bearing 7 to 13 central spines that are red, flattened, and up to 7 centimeters long, with a slightly curved to hook-shaped yellow tip. Additionally, there are eight to twelve white radial spines, occasionally twisted and around 6 centimeters long.
The plant blooms in spring to early summer, producing funnel-shaped flowers with a purple-red midvein and red,yellow to white margins, reaching lengths of up to 4 centimeters and diameters of 3.5 centimeters. The elongated yellow fruits are about 2.5 centimeters long and do not open at a basal pore. The seeds are round, black, shiny, and measure 1.7-2 mm long and 1.1-1.3 mm wide.[3][4]
Subspecies edit
There are four accepted subspecies:[5]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
 |
Ferocactus gracilis subsp. coloratus (H.E.Gates) N.P.Taylor | Mexico (C. Baja California) |
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Ferocactus gracilis subsp. gatesii (G.E.Linds.) N.P.Taylor | Mexico (Baja California: Islands in Los Angeles Bay) |
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Ferocactus gracilis subsp. gracilis | Mexico (C. Baja California) |
| Ferocactus gracilis subsp. tortulispinus (H.E.Gates) Lodé | Mexico (N. Central Baja California) |
Distribution edit
Ferocactus gracilis is native to southern Sierra San Pedro Martir, south to Punta Prieta, and northern Baja California, Mexico, growing at elevations of 10 to 30 meters. It thrives in rocky hillsides, outwash fans, silt flats, and gravelly plains, often alongside other desert plants like Mammillaria dioica, Cochemiea hutchisoniana, Echinocereus engelmannii, Pachycereus pringlei, Stenocereus thurberi, Fouquieria burragei, Cylindropuntia cholla, Idria columnaris, Lophocereus schottii, and Stenocereus gummosus.[3]
Taxonomy edit
This species was first described in 1933 by Howard Elliott Gates who named it after its slender growth habit.[6]
References edit
- ^ Biología, Héctor Hernández (Instituto de; Group), Succulent Plants Specialist (2012-02-06). "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ "Ferocactus gracilis in Tropicos".
- ^ a b "Ferocactus gracilis". LLIFLE. 2013-08-04. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ Anderson, Edward F.; Eggli, Urs (2005). Das grosse Kakteen-Lexikon (in German). Stuttgart (Hohenheim): Ulmer. p. 293. ISBN 3-8001-4573-1.
- ^ "Ferocactus gracilis H.E.Gates". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "Cactus and Succulent Journal 1933-02: Vol 4 Iss 8 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive". Internet Archive. 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
External links edit
Media related to Ferocactus gracilis at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Ferocactus gracilis at Wikispecies
