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Thelocactus rinconensis ssp. nidulans (Quehl) Glass, Ident. Guide Threatened Cacti of Mexico 1: TH/RIN (1997).
Basionym: Echinocactus nidulans Quehl, Monatsschr. Kakt.-Kunde 21: 119 (1911).
Type: (B)
Synonyms: Thelocactus nidulans Br. R., Cact. 4: 9 (1923). Thelocactus lophothele var. nidulans Kladiwa & Fittkau, in Krainz, Die Kakteen, Lfg. 61 (1975). Thelocactus rinconensis var. nidulans Glass & Foster, Cact. Succ. J. (US) 49: 245 (1977). Thelocactus rinconensis ssp. nidulans (Quehl) Doweld nom. superfl., Sukkulenty 1: 30 (1999). Thelocactus rinconensis ssp. palomaensis Pavlicek & Zatloukal, Kaktusy XXXX: 11 (2004).
Description
Stem single, depressed or globose, 10 cm tall, 20 cm wide. Ribs 21, distinct. Tubercles conical. Areoles without glands. Central spines 3-4, 60-80 mm long, silvery, shredded, straight, subulate. Radial spines 5-11, 5-30 mm long, silvery, shredded, straight, subulate. Flowers 40-50 mm wide, white or magenta.
Distribution
Mexico, Coahuila, occurring in matorral xerofilo on limestone hills.
Comments
This is a beautiful subspecies, mainly because of its robust spination. The presence of the radial spines and the robust, shredding central spines make it easily distinguishable from ssp. rinconensis.
- Palomaensis is another form, together with ssp. freudenbergeri and "icamolensis", that has magenta flowers. It has been found near Palomas, at the northern border of the Sierra Paila. It is very close to ssp. nidulans with which shares the body shape and spination, and which also occurs in the Sierra Paila. The only consistent difference is the flower colour, not sufficient to recognise it as a separate subspecies.
Thelocactus rinconensis ssp. nidulans
Sierra Paila, Coahuila
Photo: A. Mosco
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Thelocactus rinconensis ssp. nidulans
Sierra Paila, Coahuila
Photo: E. Nodari
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Thelocactus rinconensis ssp. nidulans
La Paloma, Coahuila
Photo: P. Pavlicek
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Thelocactus rinconensis ssp. nidulans
Sierra Paila, Coahuila
Photo: A. Mosco
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previous | home | © Alessandro Mosco 2004 | Last updated: 07-08-2005
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