Stenocereus alamosensis

Octopus Cactus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Stenocereus
Species:
S. alamosensis
Binomial name
Stenocereus alamosensis
(J.M.Coult.) A.C.Gibson & K.E.Horak
Synonyms
  • Cereus alamosensis J.M.Coult. 1896
  • Rathbunia alamosensis (J.M.Coult.) Britton & Rose 1909
  • Cereus pseudosonorensis Gürke 1910
  • Cereus sonorensis K.Schum. 1901
  • Rathbunia alamosensis f. cristata P.V.Heath 1992
  • Rathbunia alamosensis var. sonorensis (K.Schum.) P.V.Heath 1992
  • Rathbunia neosonorensis Backeb. 1960
  • Rathbunia pseudosonorensis (Gürke) A.Berger 1929
  • Rathbunia sonorensis (K.Schum.) Britton & Rose 1909
  • Stenocereus alamosensis f. cristatus (P.V.Heath) P.V.Heath 1996
  • Stenocereus alamosensis var. sonorensis (K.Schum.) P.V.Heath 1996

Stenocereus alamosensis (octopus cactus or cina[1]) is a species of cactus native to Mexico.[2]

Description

Stenocereus alamosensis is a shrub-like cactus with bluish-green, columnar, and often arched shoots up to 8 cm in diameter, reaching 2–4 meters in height. Its stems have 5–8 slightly arched ribs, about 1 cm high. The cactus features 1–4 strong, protruding, whitish central spines up to 4.5 cm long, and 11–18 whitish marginal spines measuring 1.3–2.2 cm. The tubular red flowers bloom during the day, measuring 7–10 cm in length and 2–3 cm in diameter, with reflexed bracts. The spherical red fruits, typically bare when ripe, have a persistent flower remnant and are 3–4.5 cm in diameter.

  • Flowers
    Flowers
  • Fruits
    Fruits
  • Plant
    Plant

Distribution

Native to Sonora and Sinaloa, Mexico, Stenocereus alamosensis grows at altitudes of 0 to 800 meters. It is viviparous (that is, the seeds germinate before leaving the parent plant), apparently an adaptation to living in coastal plains which are prone to flooding.[3]

Taxonomy

It was first described as Cereus alamosensis by John Merle Coulter in 1896, with its name referencing its occurrence near the city of Álamos. In 1979, Arthur Charles Gibson and Karl E. Horak reclassified it under the genus Stenocereus. The Seri people of Sonora call this cactus xasaacoj.[4] The specific epithet, alamosensis, refers to the plant's occurrence at Álamos in the Mexican state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico.[5] Spanish common names include "Cina," "Nacido," "Sina," and "Tasajo."

  • Stenocereus alamosensis west of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
    Stenocereus alamosensis west of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
  • Stenocereus alamosensis growing in habitat in Guamuchil, Sinaloa
    Stenocereus alamosensis growing in habitat in Guamuchil, Sinaloa


References

  1. ^ William J. Etges (Sep 1989). "Divergence in Cactophilic Drosophila: The Evolutionary Significance of Adult Ethanol Metabolism". Evolution. 43 (6). Society for the Study of Evolution: 1316–1319. doi:10.2307/2409367. JSTOR 2409367.
  2. ^ "Octopus Cactus (Stenocereus alamosensis)". Retrieved 2008-01-25.
  3. ^ J. Hugo Cota-Sánchez, Álvaro Reyes-Olivas and Bardo Sánchez-Soto (2007). "Vivipary in coastal cacti: a potential reproductive strategy in halophytic environments". American Journal of Botany. 94 (9): 1577–1581. doi:10.3732/ajb.94.9.1577. PMID 21636523.
  4. ^ Felger, Richard; Mary B. Moser. (1985). People of the desert and sea: ethnobotany of the Seri Indians. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. ISBN 0-8165-0818-6.
  5. ^ Eggli, Urs; Newton, Leonard E. (2004). Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer Science+Business Media. p. 5. ISBN 978-3-540-00489-9. OCLC 54407693. Retrieved 2018-12-14.