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Sclerocactus whipplei SB471 Apache
County, Arizona, USA
The flower is large and light greenish-yellow.
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Description:
S. whipplei is a usually unbranched cactus (but sometime forms
small cluster) with dense spines covering the stem. It is one of the
more distinctive species, characterized by yellow flowers and flattened,
somewhat daggerlike central spine directed toward the stem apex. Similar
species are
S. sileri, and the yellow-flowered populations of
S. parviflorus, often referred to as subspecies
S. terrae-canyonae . However,
S. sileri and
S. parviflorus lacks the daggerlike adaxial central spines.
Stem: 5 to 35 cm tall or more, depressed-globose, or spheric to
elongate-cylindric.
Ribs: (8-)13 to 15 often spiralled, prominent, tubercles usually
evident on ribs.
Roots: The root systems are fibrous and shallow unless deep
water.
Spines: On seedlings all radials, but on old plants both radials
and centrals.
Radial spines: Stouter the the radials, (5-)7-12 per areole,
somewhat fattened, spreading or slightly recurved, white except for
abaxial 2 that are usually purplish pink to black, (6-)12-25 mm long.
Central spines: 4(-5) per areole, terete to angled; The lowermost
central spine 1 per areole, purplish pink or reddish brown, somewhat
angled, hooked, 16-45(-55) long; lateral central spines 2 per areole,
directed toward stem apex, purplish pink to white, 14-45 mm long;
uppermost central spine white, usually flattened, straight, ribbonlike
or dagger-shaped, 17-65(-70) long.
Flowers: 3 to 5 cm long, from near the the centre of the plant,
often abundant, showy; funnelform to campanulate usually yellowish
(or sometime - var. roseus ?- light purple or pinkish);
outer tepals with greenish or reddish midstripes and yellow margins,
oblanceolate, to 24 × 5 mm; inner tepals yellow, oblanceolate, to 30 × 6
mm; tube very short, stamens numerous with yellow (or sometime lavender)
filaments, anthers yellow; style puberulent; ovary minutely papillate,
appearing smooth. They are generally bisexual and are pollinated
by insects.
Blooming season: April, May, June.
Fruits: Large dry or fleshy many-seeded berry, green to tan,
almost naked, often reddish at maturity, ovoid, 10-25 × 6-15 mm, ;
scales few, hyaline,scarious margined, minutely toothed,
membranous-fringed, each bearing in its axil a small tuft of hairs.
Seeds release from splits in the base of the fruit.
Seeds: black, 2 × 2(-3) mm, shiny; , much more larger at the upper
end than at the lower, testa with rounded papillae hylum large, lateral
on the lower half of the seed.
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Cultivation: Rarely seen in
cultivation, needs perfect drainage, it is quite difficult to grow on
its own roots and to propagate. Mature individuals easily rot and die.
It is indispensable to provide a greenhouse with good ventilation and a
full sun exposure. Keep totally dry during winter; it can tolerate
temperatures below zero (-20° C).
Plants grafted on
hardy Opuntia compressa stock are quite easy to grow and no special
skill is required. In the spring fertilize
periodically, adding a specific fertilizer. Fertilizers for succulent
plants must be rich in potassium, but poor in nitrogen, to avoid the
plants developing excess vegetation, which is easily attacked by
fungal diseases. Water moderately during the growing season, keeping the
soil dry for a few days before watering again.
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 one. Grafting is often used to speed growth rate and to
create a back-up for plants in collection.
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Family:
Cactaceae (Cactus
Family)
Scientific name:
Sclerocactus whipplei (Engelmann et
Bigelow)
Britton & Rose
Published in: Cactaceae, 3:213, 1922.
Type:
Bigelow s.n., Dec.3, 1853, MO. Colorado Chiquito (according to L.Benson,
1982) at Lithodendron Wash, a tributary of the Rio Puerco River, near
the Colorado Chiquito, near Petrified Forest National Monument (MO;
Isotype POM 317813).
Origin: This plant occurs in
Northern Arizona and at one location near Bluff, Southeastern Utah.
Conservation status: Listed in
CITES appendix 2.
Habitat: Gravely, sandy or clayey
hills, canyon rims and mesas, desert grasslands, sagebrush or saltbush
flats, desert shrub and pinyon-juniper communities.
Elevation Range: 1,500 to 2,500 meters.
It is usually found singly under small bushes and is easily overlooked
except when in flower. This species is very cold hardy and withstand
temperatures as low as minus 23° C. It is snow covered for several month
in winter.
Common Name comprise: Whipple's
fishhook cactus, Whipple's Cactus, Fishhook
Cactus
Etymology: The genus name, “Sclerocactus”,
is from the Greek “scleros” which means “hard”
and “kaktos” which means “thistle” referring
to the hard, sharp spines. The species name, “whipplei”,
honors Amiel Wicks Whipple (1818-1863), an engineer for surveys
of the United States/Mexico boundary in 1853-1856.
Synonyms:
- Echinocactus whipplei Engelmann et Bigelow
In: Proc. Amer. Acad.3:271, 1857 (reprint 1856); US
Senate Rept. Expl. & Surv. R. R. Route Pacific Ocean. Botany. 4:28
pl.1, 1857.
- Ferocactus whipplei (Engelmann & J.
M. Bigelow) N. P. Taylor
- Pediocactus whipplei (Engelmann et Bigelow) Arp
In: Arp, Cact. & Succt. J. (US) 44:222, 1972.
- Sclerocactus whipplei var. pygmaeus Peebles
In: Leafl.
West. Bot.5:192, 1949.
- Thelocactus whipplei
Some sources identify this species as
Sclerocactus parviflorus.
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Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and
cultivars of Sclerocactus whipplei.
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