Turbinicarpus
Encyclopedia
Turbinicarpus is a genus
of very small to medium-sized cacti
, which inhabit the north-eastern regions of Mexico
, in particular the states of San Luis Potosí
, Guanajuato
, Nuevo León
, Querétaro
, Hidalgo, Coahuila
, Tamaulipas
and Zacatecas
.
Turbinicarpus are usually confined to specific habitats, generally hostile for the majority of plants, mostly in very drained rocky areas, composed of limestone, sandstone, schist (neutral or alkaline), or in very acidic and humiferous underwood, or in gypsum veins, sometimes so pure that is almost white.
In particular, Turbinicarpus strictu sensu are adapted to extreme niches: more than 80% of the species grow in rock cracks or among the pebbles beneath them, where enough dust accumulated to enable root development. It would seem almost impossible that plants so small could survive in such an environment, however in those species that inhabit dry and exposed areas, the root is very thick, becoming a taproot and acting like an anchor on the slopes but, more important, as a water storage for the dry periods, capable of significantly retracting into the ground so that the stem is less exposed to the sun; the spines are often changed to adopt a very papery structure, capable of absorbing good quantities of water. Furthermore, the general look is extremely mimetic, thanks to the epidermis colour and the interlacing spines, guaranteeing a certain protection from eventual herbivores.
, Echinomastus
, Gymnocactus, Mammillaria
, Neolloydia
, Normanbokea, Pediocactus
, Pelecyphora
, Strombocactus, Thelocactus
and Toumeya, as the results of almost two centuries of constant evolution in the understanding of the affinities and relationship inside the Cactaceae family.
Many points of view about the classification of Turbinicarpus are available currently, but the most convincing appear the genus revision by Davide Donati (2003, and 2004 with Carlo Zanovello), thanks to its thoroughness.
This work is based on:
At the end of that study, Rapicactus is considererd as a distinct genus from Turbinicarpus. The genus Turbinicarpus is subdivided in 2 subgenera at the light of the results of the DNA analysis, and in many series because of the ontogeny of the spination.
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...
of very small to medium-sized cacti
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
, which inhabit the north-eastern regions of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, in particular the states of San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
, Guanajuato
Guanajuato
Guanajuato officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 46 municipalities and its capital city is Guanajuato....
, Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
, Querétaro
Querétaro
Querétaro officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro de Arteaga is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities and its capital city is Santiago de Querétaro....
, Hidalgo, Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
, Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
and Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Zacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....
.
Ecology
These succulent plants grow mostly on limestone soil (never on volcanic soil), at altitudes between 300 and 3300 meters above sea level.Turbinicarpus are usually confined to specific habitats, generally hostile for the majority of plants, mostly in very drained rocky areas, composed of limestone, sandstone, schist (neutral or alkaline), or in very acidic and humiferous underwood, or in gypsum veins, sometimes so pure that is almost white.
In particular, Turbinicarpus strictu sensu are adapted to extreme niches: more than 80% of the species grow in rock cracks or among the pebbles beneath them, where enough dust accumulated to enable root development. It would seem almost impossible that plants so small could survive in such an environment, however in those species that inhabit dry and exposed areas, the root is very thick, becoming a taproot and acting like an anchor on the slopes but, more important, as a water storage for the dry periods, capable of significantly retracting into the ground so that the stem is less exposed to the sun; the spines are often changed to adopt a very papery structure, capable of absorbing good quantities of water. Furthermore, the general look is extremely mimetic, thanks to the epidermis colour and the interlacing spines, guaranteeing a certain protection from eventual herbivores.
Taxonomy
The taxonomic history of the genus Turbinicarpus is rather complex and often mixed with that of other genera like EchinocactusEchinocactus
Echinocactus is a genus of cacti in the subfamily Cactoideae. The generic name derives from the Ancient Greek εχινος , meaning "spiny," and cactus. It and Ferocactus are the two genera of barrel cactus. Members of the genus usually have heavy spination and relatively large flowers...
, Echinomastus
Echinomastus
Echinomastus is a genus of cacti. They are native to the southwestern United States and Mexico.There are up to 9 species, including:*Echinomastus erectocentrus*Echinomastus intertextus*Echinomastus johnsonii...
, Gymnocactus, Mammillaria
Mammillaria
The genus Mammillaria is one of the largest in the cactus family , with currently 171 known species and varieties recognized. Most of the mammillarias are native to Mexico, but some come from the southwest USA, the Caribbean, Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala and Honduras.The first was described by...
, Neolloydia
Neolloydia
Neolloydia is a genus of cacti. The genus is uniquely found in the dry scrub areas of southern Texas and the Chihuahua Desert of Northeast Mexico.-Taxonomy:...
, Normanbokea, Pediocactus
Pediocactus
Pediocactus is a genus of cacti. The genus comprises between 6 and 11 species, depending upon the authority...
, Pelecyphora
Pelecyphora
Pelecyphora is a genus of cacti, comprising 2 species. They originate from Mexico.Pelecyphora is known for its medicinal properties and may have been utilized as a psychoactive in the same way as Lophophora williamsii. It is known as "Peyotillo"....
, Strombocactus, Thelocactus
Thelocactus
Thelocactus is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae. Members of the genus are native to the arid lands of Central and Northern Mexico.-Description:...
and Toumeya, as the results of almost two centuries of constant evolution in the understanding of the affinities and relationship inside the Cactaceae family.
Many points of view about the classification of Turbinicarpus are available currently, but the most convincing appear the genus revision by Davide Donati (2003, and 2004 with Carlo Zanovello), thanks to its thoroughness.
This work is based on:
- carpology
- chorologyChorologyChorology can mean* the study of the causal relations between geographical phenomena occurring within a particular region* the study of the spatial distribution of organisms....
- DNA analysis
- ecologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
- flowerFlowerA 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...
characters - intercrossing test, to test the concept of biological species
- morphologyMorphology (biology)In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
- ontogenyOntogenyOntogeny is the origin and the development of an organism – for example: from the fertilized egg to mature form. It covers in essence, the study of an organism's lifespan...
of the entire body and above all of the spination - seedSeedA seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
characters
At the end of that study, Rapicactus is considererd as a distinct genus from Turbinicarpus. The genus Turbinicarpus is subdivided in 2 subgenera at the light of the results of the DNA analysis, and in many series because of the ontogeny of the spination.
Serie Gracilis
- Turbinicarpus dickisoniae
- Turbinicarpus gracilis
- Turbinicarpus hoferiTurbinicarpus hoferiTurbinicarpus hoferi is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-References:* Anderson, E.F., Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Turbinicarpus swobodaeTurbinicarpus swobodaeTurbinicarpus swobodae is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Anderson, E.F., Fitz Maurice, W.A., Fitz Maurice, B. & Hofer, A. 2002. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
Serie Lophophoroides
- Turbinicarpus alonsoiTurbinicarpus alonsoiTurbinicarpus alonsoi is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-References:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Turbinicarpus bonatziiTurbinicarpus bonatziiTurbinicarpus bonatzii is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
- Turbinicarpus flaviflorus
- Turbinicarpus knuthianusTurbinicarpus knuthianusTurbinicarpus knuthianus is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and hot deserts.-Source:...
- Turbinicarpus jauernigiiTurbinicarpus jauernigiiTurbinicarpus jauernigii is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Turbinicarpus lauiTurbinicarpus lauiTurbinicarpus laui is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Turbinicarpus lophophoroidesTurbinicarpus lophophoroidesTurbinicarpus lophophoroides is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland and hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.- Source :...
- Turbinicarpus rioverdensisTurbinicarpus rioverdensisTurbinicarpus rioverdensis is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.- Source :...
Serie Macrochele
- Turbinicarpus macrochele
- Turbinicarpus macrochele subsp. frailensis
- Turbinicarpus macrochele subsp. polaskii
- Turbinicarpus macrochele subsp. valteri
Serie Turbinicarpus
- Turbinicarpus klinkerianus
- Turbinicarpus klinkerianus subsp. schwartzii
- Turbinicarpus klinkerianus subsp. hiemalis
- Turbinicarpus klinkerianus subsp. planiziei
- Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanusTurbinicarpus schmiedickeanusTurbinicarpus schmiedickeanus is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanus subsp. rubriflorus
- Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanus subsp. andersonii
Serie Valdeziani
- Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatusTurbinicarpus pseudopectinatusTurbinicarpus pseudopectinatus is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and hot deserts...
- Turbinicarpus valdezianusTurbinicarpus valdezianusTurbinicarpus valdezianus is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
Serie Gymnocactus
- Turbinicarpus nieblae
- Turbinicarpus saueriTurbinicarpus saueriTurbinicarpus saueri is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A., Fitz Maurice, B. & Hofer, A. 2002. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
subsp. saueri - Turbinicarpus saueri subsp. nelissae
- Turbinicarpus ysabelaeTurbinicarpus ysabelaeTurbinicarpus ysabelae is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
Serie Viereckii
- Turbinicarpus gielsdorfianusTurbinicarpus gielsdorfianusTurbinicarpus gielsdorfianus is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:...
- Turbinicarpus major
- Turbinicarpus viereckiiTurbinicarpus viereckiiTurbinicarpus viereckii is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Anderson, E.F., Fitz Maurice, W.A., Fitz Maurice, B. & Hofer, A. 2002. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
subsp. viereckii - Turbinicarpus viereckii subsp. neglectus
Section Kadenicarpus
- Turbinicarpus krainzianus
- Turbinicarpus krainzianus subsp. minimus
- Turbinicarpus pseudomacrocheleTurbinicarpus pseudomacrocheleTurbinicarpus pseudomacrochele is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
Subgenus Rapicactus
- Rapicactus beguinii
- Rapicactus beguinii subsp. hintoniorum
- Rapicactus booleanus
- Rapicactus canescens
- Rapicactus donatii
- Rapicactus subterraneus
- Rapicactus zaragosae
Synonymy
The following genera haven been brought into synonymy with Turbinicarpus:- Gymnocactus Backeb.
- Normanbokea Kladiwa & Buxb.