Pediocactus sileri
Pediocactus sileri | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Cactaceae |
Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
Genus: | Pediocactus |
Species: | P. sileri
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Binomial name | |
Pediocactus sileri | |
Synonyms | |
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Pediocactus sileri is a rare species of cactus known by the common names Siler's pincushion cactus and gypsum cactus (or gypsum plains cactus). It is native to southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona in the United States. It is limited to a specific type of soil, individuals are often spaced far apart, and the species is threatened by a number of human activities such as off-road vehicle use, poaching, and uranium mining.[2] This is a federally listed threatened species of the United States.
Description
This cactus is egg-shaped or sometimes cylindrical in shape, and may have short branches. It is up to 25 centimeters tall by about 11 cm wide. The surface is bumpy with areoles which are covered in hairs or woolly fibers. Each areole has 3 to 7 main spines which are black to gray or white in color, those occurring near the base of the cactus body reaching up to 3 centimeters long. Each areole also has many smaller white spines 1 or 2 centimeters long. Spines around the base of the cactus may help to anchor it to the soil. The cactus flowers in April and May. The flower is up to 2 centimeters long by 3 cm wide and has white-margined brown outer tepals and purple-veined yellow inner tepals. The fruit is yellow-green in color and just over a centimeter long.[3]
Taxonomy
The names Pediocactus sileri and Sclerocactus sileri have a confused relationship in the literature. (Pediocactus at one time included Sclerocactus, although they are now thought not to be closely related.)[4] According to the treatment in the Flora of North America,[3] the taxon described here was first described as Echinocactus sileri in 1896 and transferred to Pediocactus sileri by L.D. Benson in 1961.[5] Quite separately, L.D. Benson (in 1969) named a variety sileri of Sclerocactus pubispinus, which was raised to a full species under the name Sclerocactus sileri by K.D. Heil and J.M. Porter in 1994.[6] The two taxa are treated as two separate species in the Flora of North America, which has entries for:
- Pediocactus sileri (Engelmann ex J.M. Coulter) L.D. Benson – Gypsum cactus, Siler's pincushion cactus[3]
- Sclerocactus sileri (L.D. Benson) K.D. Heil & J M. Porter – Siler fishhook cactus[7]
Mistakenly, Anderson (2001) describes only one species, under the name Sclerocactus sileri, treating Pediocactus sileri as a synonym.[8] His description largely matches the description of Pediocactus sileri in the Flora of North America, and he uses the same common names (gypsum cactus, Siler's pincushion cactus) although the distribution he gives ("a very restricted area in Coconino County, Arizona") corresponds to that of Sclerocactus sileri in the Flora of North America ("restricted to northeast Coconino County, Arizona").[7]
Distribution and conservation
The cactus grows on sand and clay substrate that is part of the
Threats to this species include uranium exploration. As the price of uranium has increased recently, mining claims have also increased in number.
Conservation activities include the establishment of the
References
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ a b c Pediocactus sileri, The Nature Conservancy, retrieved 2019-02-05
- ^ a b c Heil, Kenneth D. & Porter, J. Mark, Pediocactus sileri, retrieved 2012-05-04, in Flora of North America Editorial Committee & 1982 onwards
- ^ Heil, Kenneth D. & Porter, J. Mark, Sclerocactus, retrieved 2012-05-04, in Flora of North America Editorial Committee, ed. (1982), Flora of North America (online), eFloras.org
- ^ Cactaceae Pediocactus sileri (Engelm. ex J.M.Coult.) L.D.Benson, The International Plant Names Index, retrieved 2012-05-04
- ^ Cactaceae Sclerocactus sileri (L.D.Benson) K.D.Heil & J.M.Porter, The International Plant Names Index, retrieved 2012-05-04
- ^ a b Heil, Kenneth D. & Porter, J. Mark, Sclerocactus sileri, retrieved 2012-05-04, in Flora of North America Editorial Committee & 1982 onwards
- ISBN 978-0-88192-498-5, p. 629
- ^ a b c d e USFWS. Pediocactus sileri Five-year Review. November 2008.
- ^ Kuzmanic, J. (May 5, 2011), The White Dome Nature Preserve: Protecting the Bear Claw Poppy and Siler Pincushion Cactus, St George Times, archived from the original on May 13, 2011, retrieved June 18, 2011