• ETYMOLOGY
Genus honouring Alvaro Obregon (1880-1928), leader of the Mexican revolution, and first president of the country, who was murdered on July 17th, 1928 during a banquet while celebrating his re-election (see portrait above, public domain). • DESCRIPTION
A genus of small, subglobose to flattened, usually solitary, low growing plants, with the apex very woolly and a large taproot. Ribs absent, large angular tubercles arranged in a spiral, wide at their base, smooth, sharp, areoles located at the top of tubercles. Spines short, few (0-5), flexible, becoming deciduous. Flowers diurnal, self-sterile, funnel-shaped, appearing at the apex, creamy white, pollinated by bees. Fruits davate, at first fleshy, drying when mature, naked, indehiscent. Seeds pear-shaped, tuberculate, shiny, black. Dispersal probably ensured by ants. • HABITAT
The monotypic genus Obregonia grows endemically in an extremely limited area of Tamaulipas state in Mexico, on rocky or clayey areas, alluvial plains, in a xerophilous forest of dense bushes, among dead leaves, almost always in the shade, rarely in full sun (unless loss of its nurse plant), from 800 m up to 1300 m in altitude. When it rains, the erosion contributes to the destruction of many plants situated in drainage areas. It is usually found together with Agave lechuguilla, Ariocarpus trigonus, Astrophytum myriostigma, Coryphantha palmeri, Echinocereus blanckii,
Mammiilaria baumii, Neolloydia conoidea, among other cacti and succulents. • DISTRIBUTION
Vlexico (Tamaulipas).
Currently only one recognised species:
– Obregonia denegrii* Fric 1925
• ETYMOLOGY
“Night Cereus” because the genus has nocturnal flowers. • DESCRIPTION
A genus of bushy plants forming clumps of soft, erect cylindrical stems, climbing or pendulous, up to 6 m or more long, branching from the base, with tuberous roots. 10-13 ribs rounded, very small areoles, close-set, spines short and finely aciculate.
Flowers nocturnal, large (15-20 cm long), self-sterile, funnel-shaped, white with outer segments of the perianth pinkish brown, opening widely, fragrant, pollinated by bats. Fruits large (6 cm long), globose to egg-shaped, red, edible, covered with spines falling when ripe. Very large seeds (ca. 4.5×3.5 mm) shiny, black, dotted with tiny holes. • HABITAT
The monotypic genus Nyctocereus grows endemically on very organic or rocky soils often of volcanic origin, and although it has a wide area of distribution along the east coast of Mexico, it is found very sporadically and always in very localized areas, in deciduous tropical forests, from 800 m up to 2500 m in altitude, generally in the shade. • DISTRIBUTION
Mexico (D. F., Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Sinaloa, Sonora, Zacatecas).
Currently only one recognised species:
– Nyctocereus serpentinus* (Lag. & Rodr.) Britton & Rose 1909
• ETYMOLOGY
“Southern Cactus”, because the genus is native to South America. • DESCRIPTION
A genus of plants of medium size, little to strongly ribbed and tuberculate, with the apex depressed, solitary or forming clumps, becoming elongated. Areoles usually woolly, Spines mostly straight or flexible, exceptionally hooked (N. tenuicylindricus).
Flowers diurnal, sometimes self-fertile, usually quite wide, funnel-shaped, appearing around the apex, mostly yellow, but also pink, orange or purple, usually pollinated by hymenoptera: Andrenidae (Acamptopoeum prinii, Anthrenoides micans, Arhysosage cactorum, Callynochium petuniae, Psaenythia annulata, P. superba), Anthophoridae Ancyloscelis fiebrigii, Lanthanomelissa completa, Ceratina asunciana, C. hyemaiis, C. rupestris, C. volitans, Ptiiothrix fructifera), Apidae (Plebeia emerina, P. wittmannii), Colletidae (Cephaiocolietes rugata), Halictidae (Augochlora semiramis, Augochloropsis euterpe, Diaiictus sp.) Megachilidae (Lithurgus rufiventris), Schlindwein & Wittmann, 1995, 1997. Pistil stigmas usually red, but also pink, purple or orange. Fruits egg-shaped to globose, tenderly fleshy, lengthening mostly when ripe and drying, with a basal or longitudinal dehiscence; floral remains persistent. Seeds black, often bell or hat-shaped, rough, tuberculate. Dispersal of seeds ensured by ants. • HABITAT
The genus Notocactus has an extreme biodiversity due partially to its very wide geographic distribution and its ecology. According to species, it can grow in pockets of humus, on rocks or in crevices, among mosses, in the shade of woodlands, in rather humid forest areas but also in dry deciduous forests, grasslands (pampa), stony hills (cerros), on reddish rocky or sandy soils sometimes subject to temporary flooding, from sea level (N. scopa) up to 2800 m in altitude (N. mammulosus). • DISTRIBUTION
Argentina (Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios, La Pampa, Mendoza, Misiones, Rio Negro, Salta, San Luis), Brazil (Parana, Rio Grande do Sul), Paraguay (Cordillera, Itapua, Paraguari), Uruguay (Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Durazno, Florida, Lavajella, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres).
• ETYMOLOGY
Genus honouring Erich Werdermann (1892-1959), German botanist and director of the botanical museum and herbarium of Berlin (see picture above); “neo” because the genus Werdermannia had already been used to designate a Brassicaceae, minimum / maximum altitude range (m) • DESCRIPTION
A genus of small low growing plants, globose flattened, solitary, with fasciculate or sturdy taproot, with ribs numerous but little marked, spiralled, divided into distinct tubercles. Areoles often sunken, situated near the tubercle tips. Central spines stiff, sometimes hooked, radial spines often curved, rather flexible.
Flowers diurnal, self-sterile, small, funnel-shaped, with a short floral tube, appearing at the top of the young tubercles, white to lilac pink, pollinated by bees. Fruits globose, sunken in the axils, smooth, reddish brown, dry, with lateral or apical dehiscence, floral remains persistent. Seeds ruminate, matt, blackish brown, retaining the remnants of the mucilage.
The plant is consumed by the local populations as vegetable. • HABITAT
The genus Neowerdermannia grows in the premountain range of the Andes, the altiplano, in a purely mineral, stony or sandy soil, often covered with mosses, from 2200 m up to 4330 m in altitude. • DISTRIBUTION
Argentina (Jujuy, Salta), Bolivia (Chuquisaca, La Paz, Oruro, Potosi), Chile (Arica, Tarapaca), Peru (Moquegua, Tacna).
Currently 2 recognised species plus one subspecies:
– Neowerdermannia chilensis* Backeb. 1936
– Neowerdermannia chilensis subsp. peruviana (Ritter) Ostolaza 1998
– Neowerdermannia vorwerkii* Fric 1930
• ETYMOLOGY
Genus honouring Antonio Raimondi (1825-1890), Italian naturalist and geographer who dedicated his life travelling and studying Peru: “neo”, because the genus Raimondia already existed, to designate a genus of Annonaceae (1913). • DESCRIPTION
A genus of bushy to treelike candelabra-shaped plants, sturdy, branched from the base, with erect stems usually greyish-green, reaching up to 15 m high, with few well defined ribs. Large areoles close-set in outgrowths continuing their development, with brown felt, spiny. Very long spines, up to 25 cm, in variable number, flexible.
Flowers diurnal, self-sterile, funnel-shaped, relatively small compared to plants, appearing on the outgrowths of areoles along stems, more or less intense pink or off-white, pollinated by bats (Glossophaga soricina, Platalina genovesium) and insects: hymenoptera (Camponotus sp. Crematogaster spp., Pseudomyrmex spp.), Diptera, Lepidoptera (Strymon jacqueline). The pericarpel and the floral tube bear scales and felted areoles, sometimes with
bristles. Fruits subglobose to egg-shaped, juicy (pink pulp in N. herzogiana, edible), with felted areoles bearing short spines. Seeds brownish to black, elongated and curved, rough or ruminate, finely foveolate, encased in a mucilage, scattered by birds (Phyllotis darwinii), bats (Platalina genovesium, Sturnira lilium) and ants. • HABITAT
The genus Neoraimondia grows in scattered colonies in rocky open desert spaces, on mountain and hillslopes, among rocks, from 50 m up to approximately 2800 m in altitude. • DISTRIBUTION
Bolivia (Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Tarija), Peru (Ancash, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Huancavelica, lea, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Moquegua, Piura, Tacna, Tumbes).
