Rapicactus zaragosae, synonym Turbinicarpus zaragosae, is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae. It is endemic to Mexico.[2] Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat destruction.

Rapicactus zaragosae
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Rapicactus
Species:
R. zaragosae
Binomial name
Rapicactus zaragosae
(Glass & R.A.Foster) D.Donati[2]
Synonyms[2]
  • Gymnocactus subterraneus var. zaragosae Glass & R.A.Foster
  • Neolloydia subterranea subsp. zaragosae (Glass & R.A.Foster) Doweld
  • Neolloydia subterranea var. zaragosae (Glass & R.A.Foster) E.F.Anderson
  • Neolloydia zaragosae (Glass & R.A.Foster) Doweld
  • Pediocactus subterraneus var. zaragosae (Glass & R.A.Foster) Halda
  • Rapicactus subterraneus subsp. zaragosae (Glass & R.A.Foster) Lüthy
  • Thelocactus subterraneus var. zaragosae (Glass & R.A.Foster) Bravo
  • Turbinicarpus beguinii subsp. zaragosae (Glass & R.A.Foster) D.R.Hunt
  • Turbinicarpus mandragora subsp. zaragosae (Glass & R.A.Foster) Lüthy
  • Turbinicarpus subterraneus subsp. zaragosae (Glass & R.A.Foster) Zachar
  • Turbinicarpus subterraneus var. zaragosae (Glass & R.A.Foster) A.D.Zimmerman
  • Turbinicarpus zaragosae (Glass & R.A.Foster) Glass & A.Hofer

Description

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Rapicactus zaragosae is a solitary, club-shaped cactus with stems that are globular to cylindrical, reaching up to 150 mm in height and 50 mm in width. The stems are greenish-blue with a woolly apex, and the areoles in the flowering area are very woolly. The tubercles of this cactus are pyramidal or conical. It has 21-25 radial spines that are slightly bent backwards, thickened at the base, glassy white with a brown tip, and measure 3-6 mm in length, except for 2 or 3 bristle-like spines that can reach up to 2 cm. Additionally, there are 2 brownish-black central spines that turn grey with age, one of which is erect and darker, measuring around 15-20 mm long. The flowers of Rapicactus zaragosae are slender and funnel-shaped, ranging in color from pale yellow to violet, with a darker mid-vein. They are 18-20 mm long and 15-30 mm wide, blooming in spring to summer. The fruits are greenish-brown.[3]

Distribution

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Plants are found growing on gypsum hills in the municipalities of Zaragosa and South of Aramberri in Nuevo Leon, Mexico at elevations of 1200-1700 meters. The plants are found growing with Thelocactus conothelos subsp. aurantiacus and Cochemiea conoidea.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  2. ^ a b c "Rapicactus zaragosae (Glass & R.A.Foster) D.Donati". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  3. ^ a b Art, Cactus (2013-08-04). "Rapicactus zaragosae". LLIFLE. Retrieved 2024-05-11.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license.
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