Brasiliopuntia
Encyclopedia
Brasiliopuntia is a genus
in the cactus family
Cactaceae.
It is found in central Brazil
, north Argentina
, east Bolivia
, and east Peru
.
White areole
s bear one or two little brown spine
s upright.
Light brown flower
s appear only on adult plants.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
in the cactus family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Cactaceae.
It is found in central Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, north Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, east Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, and east Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
Species list
- Brasiliopuntia brasiliensis (Willdenow) A. Berger 1926
- Brasiliopuntia neoargentina
Synonyms
- Cactus brasiliensis Willdenow 1814
- Opuntia brasiliensis (Willdenow) Haworth 1819
- Opuntia bahiensis Britton & Rose 1919
- Brasilopuntia bahiensis (Britton & Rose) A. Berger 1926
- Opuntia schulzii A. Castellanos & Lelong 1944
- Brasilopuntia neoargentina Backeberg 1957
- Brasilopuntia schulzii (A. Castellanos & Lelong) Backeberg 1958
- Brasilopuntia subcarpa Rizzini & A. Mattos 1986
Description
Brasiliopuntia shows thin, slightly shrunken cladodes on a central cylindrical trunk. The leaves are bright green.White areole
Areole
Areoles are an important diagnostic feature of cacti, and identify them as a family distinct from other succulent plants. The areoles on cacti are clearly visible; they generally appear as small light- to dark-colored bumps, out of which grow clusters of spines...
s bear one or two little brown spine
Thorns, spines, and prickles
In botanical morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles are hard structures with sharp, or at least pointed, ends. In spite of this common feature, they differ in their growth and development on the plant; they are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs...
s upright.
Light brown flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s appear only on adult plants.