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Sclerocactus wetlandicus
(Syn: Sclerocactus glaucus)

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NURSERY

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Sclerocactus wetlandicus SB 1323 Uintah County, Utah, USA
A plant grafted on Opuntia compressa.
 

Description: Usually solitary or occasionally clumping, in groups of up to 9 stems.
Stem: Green to bluish green (glaucous) spheric, cylindric, or elongate-cylindric, 3-8.5(-15) × 4-10(-12) cm,;
Ribs: 12-14(-15) tubercles evident on ribs.
Areoles: 3 mm in diameter, 9-10 mm apart. Red nectar glands are  found above each areole.
Spines: slightly or not obscuring stems.
Radial spines: 6-10(or more) per areole, white pale tan, brown, reddish brown (rarely black), 6-20 mm; central spines 3--5 per areole, sometimes not greatly different from radial spines; straight and unhooked or curved (rarely hooked), 12-26 mm long.
Central spines: Usually white (rarely light brown),15-29 mm long. Some specimens lack central spines, or have central spines which are hooked.
Flowers: Purple or pink flowers fragrant, funnel-form, 2,5-5 cm wide and tall; outer tepals with brownish lavender midstripes and pink to violet margins, filaments green to white; anthers yellow.
Fruits:  Ovoid, barrel-shaped, 9-30 × 7-12 mm, with a few membranous scales, mostly near apex.
Seeds: Black, 1.5 × 2.5 mm; cells convex but flattened apically.
Blooming season: Late Apr-May.
 

 

Propagation: Seeds are extremely difficult to germinate  (only 2-3 percent of seeds germinate) The germination is really difficult and if some seedling finally sprout, as they start to grows they disappear one by oneGrafting is often used to speed growth rate and to create a back-up for plants in collection.


Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the sclerocactus glaucus complex
(This Taxon has several of synonyms ( like many other cacti), with controversial varieties and subspecies, and comprises different forms, but where each form is linked to others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics):

Photo gallery: Alphabetical listing of Cactus and Succulent pictures published in this site.

Photo gallery SCLEROCACTUS


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Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)


Scientific name:  Sclerocactus wetlandicus Hochstätter ssp. wetlandicus
Published in: Succulenta (Netherlands). 68: 123, figs. s.n. (upper row, p. 124). 1989.

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 1.

Common Names include:

  • Uinta basin hookless cactus

Sclerocactus wetlandicus is morphologically very similar to S. glaucus and has been frequently treated within S. glaucous, but the two populations are geographically separated and Phylogenetic analyses of chloroplast DNA are ambiguous regarding the closest relative of S. wetlandicus.  However, this species is related to S. brevispinus, S. glaucus, S. wrightiae, S. whipplei, and S. parviflorus. We refer to this species as the Sclerocactus glaucus complex.

Synonyms:  
  • Pediocactus wetlandicus (Hochstätter) Halda
  • Sclerocactus glaucus
  • Sclerocactus glaucus ssp. wetlandicus

Origin: Duchesne and Uintah counties, Utah.

Habitat:  Gravel-covered clay hills, desert grasslands, saltbush, rabbit brush flats; of conservation concern; 1300-1500 m.
 


 

 



Cultivation:
 This plant is very rare in cultivation; it does not do well.  It is very difficult to grow its own roots.  Mature individuals easily rot and die, especially after planting. 
It is extremely xerophytic and adapted to very dry soils, but plant grafted an hardy Opuntia compressa stock are very easy to grow and no special skill is required, they can stay in a non heated green house or outdoors in raised beds, terraces, window sills etc..
This cactus continue
s to be, a particular prize among collectors.

Home | E-mail | Plant files | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search

All the information and photos in cactus art files are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.