BOLIVICACTUS

Autor: A.B. Doweld

• ETYMOLOGY
“Cactus of Bolivia”, because the type species of this genus is native to northern Bolivia.
• DESCRIPTION
A genus of globose to shortly columnar plants, with 13-21 ribs, more or less tuberculate, radial spines variable in
number, central spines 4-6 ( 8 ), aciculate, often hooked.
Flowers diurnal, born at the apex, with a short and woolly tube, yellow, orange or red, pollinated by bees. Fruits small, globose. Seeds black seeds ornated with fine papillae and longitudinal striations. Dispersion of seeds, and according to their structure, provided by ants (myrmecochory), also by rainwater (hydrochory).
• HABITAT
The genus Bolivicactus grows essentially in southern Bolivia, also in northern Argentina, in the mountains of the
Eastern Cordillera of the Andes, between 850 m and 3600 m in altitude, on bare slopes, among bushes, in hollows of rocks, between stones. The genus has extremely variable species, and several taxa have been described.
• DISTRIBUTION
Argentina (Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán), Bolivia (Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Potosí, Santa Cruz, Tarija).

Currently 17 proposed species:
– Bolivicactus aureicentrus (Backeb.) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus columnaris (Cárdenas) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus comarapanus* (Cárdenas) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus commutans (F. Ritter) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus hausteinianus (Rausch) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus maassii* (Heese) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus mairananus (Cárdenas) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus ocampoi (Cárdenas) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus otavianus (Cárdenas) J.Lodé 2014
– Bolivicactus procerus (F. Ritter) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus ritteri (Burning) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus saint-pieanus (Backeb.) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus schwebsianus (Werderm.) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus Stuemeri* (Werderm.) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus subterraneus (F. Ritter) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus taratensis ((Cárdenas) A. Doweld 2000
– Bolivicactus tuberculatus (Cárdenas) A. Doweld 2000

References: "TAXONOMY of the CACTACEAE" -  ISBN 978-84-617-3723-9 (Vol. 1)