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This rare and distinctive barrel cactus has relatively weak spines
for a Ferocactus with wide blue ribs. |
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Description: Small
barrel cactus, usually solitary but
it sometimes clumps
at the base.
Stem: Depressed, globose to shortly cylindrical up to
90 cm tall and 45 cm in diameter,
occasionally much taller;
Ribs: 12-20 mm broad, acute, slightly
tuberculate.
Areoles: Elongated, woolly, about 1,5
mm
long.
Spines: Needle-like,
densely intermeshed, with a reddish tinge in
the new growth
Central spine: 1, sometimes flattened,
up to
7.5 cm long;
Radial spines: 3-8 straw-coloured,. 3 to 4 cm long .
Flowers: Wide open, greenish yellow, up to 4.5 cm long, 3.5 cm in
diameter. The petals are spatulate and broad.
Fruit: Dull brown-red fruits splitting open when ripe,
Photo of
conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to
the Ferocactus pottsii
complex (This
Taxon has lots of synonyms ( like
many other cacti) whit controversial varieties and subspecies:
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Taxonomy note:
The differences with F. alamosoanus
are in reality very
minimal. The ribs in F. alamosanus are
more numerous and the central ribs
are
longer, The subspecies 'alamosanus'
usually
has about 20 acute ribs, heavy spination, and only grows to 25
cm
in height.
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Family:
Cactaceae (Cactus
Family)
Scientific name: Ferocactus pottsii
(Salm-Dyck) Backeberg. |
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Etymology: Named for John Potts, manager of a
mine in Ciudad Chihuahua.
Origin: Mexico (Chihuahua,
Sinaloa, Sonora), in deciduous vegetation, from 800 to 3300 feet
elevation (240 to 1000 m)
Conservation status: Listed in
CITES appendix 2. |
Synonyms:
- Echinocactus pottsii
- Ferocactus guirecobensis
(This
Taxon belong to a group of six closely
allied species. The group is:
F. alamosanus, F. pottsii,
F. schwarzii,
F. reppenhagenii,
F. glaucescens, & F. echidne)
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Cultivation: Slow growing
to start, but does well under cultivation.
Use very draining soil, water during the
aestival growth
cycle (this plant need plenty of water) But it is
necessary to avoid
wetting the bodies of these plants while they are in sunlight. A wet
cactus in the sun light can cause sun burning, which can lead to scars
or even fungal infections and death.
Needs full sun. Keep dry at 10°C in winter,
but can tolerate sporadic light frost.
Reproduction:
Seeds are the only way of
reproducing.
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Cultivation
and Mail Sale 