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

Glandulicactus uncinatus

Glandulicactus uncinatus
This plant with very dark flowers resembles Ancistrocactus brevihamatus and, especially, Hamatocactus setispinus.
 

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Scientific name:  Glandulicactus uncinatus (Galeotti) Backeberg.
Pubblished in: Beitr. Sukkulentenk. Sukkulentenpflege. 1939(2): 4. 1939.

Common Name:  Chihuahuan Fishhook Cactus Brown-Flowered Hedgehog, Catclaw Cactus, Turk's Head Cactus, Texas Hedgehog.

Origin:  Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas), USA (southern Texas)

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Taxon synonyms:

• Echinocactus uncinatus Galeotti, Abbild. Beschr. Cact. 2: plate 18. 1848
• Sclerocactus uncinatus (Galeotti) N.P. Taylor
• Ancistrocactus uncinatus (Gal.) L. Benson,
• Thelocactus uncinatus,
• Pediocactus uncinatus,
• Ferocactus uncinatus,
• Echinomastus uncinatus,
• Hamatocactus uncinatus

Other synonyms:

• Echinocactus mathssonii Berge ex K.Schum. 1897
• Ferocactus mathssonii (Berge ex K.Schum.) N.P.Taylor 1979
• Glandulicactus mathssonii (Berge ex K.Schum.) D.J.Ferguson 1991
• Ancistrocactus mathsonii (Berge ex K.Schum.) Doweld 1999

G. uncinatus, along with G. crassihamatus, are currently recognized as Sclerocactus uncinatus and S. uncinatus ssp. crassihamatus, but this genus diverges from Sclerocactus for a number of morphological differences, Instead this genus is more closely related with Ferocactus, Thelocactus, and Leuchtenbergia for similar vegetative and floral morphology.

Description: Solitary cylindrical cactus.
Stem: up to 20 cm tall, 8 cm in diameter.
Ribs: Approx.13, strongly crenate.
Areoles: Elongated on sexually mature plants.
Areolar gland: dome-shaped
Central spine: 1 hooked;
Radial spines: 7 or 8 reddish straight ones, but the abaxial radial spines are consistently hooked, too.
Flowers: Broadly funnel-form-campanulate, diurnal, dull pink to dark red, or russet or brownish purple to almost black, 2-4 cm long, up to 3 cm in diameter.
Blooming time:  In spring.
Fruit: Showy red.
 

An old specimen

Photo and © copyright
by Andrea B. (Bologna, Italy)

Cultivation: Somewhat sensitive to over-watering (rot prone) and slow-growing. Grow in a  mineral  cactus compost and provide good drainage. Water in moderation; it prefers a completely dry place during winter.
An unheated greenhouse would be perfect. It can survive low temperatures, approx. -7° (-12°) C.
They will do their best with lots of sun and become stressed with inadequate light, which could result in poor growth and an unnatural shape.  
Provide very good ventilation.

Propagation: Seed.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Glandulicactus uncimnatus  complex (This Taxon has many synonyms whit several controversial varieties and subspecies and comprises a multitude of different forms, but where each form is linked to others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics):

• G. uncinatus
• G. mathssonii (uncinatus)
• G. wrightii (uncinatus)

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