| Epithelantha bokei | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Genus: | Epithelantha |
| Species: | E. bokei |
| Binomial name | |
| Epithelantha bokei L.D.Benson | |
Epithelantha bokei is a species of cactus known by the common names pingpong ball cactus and button-cactus. It is native to Texas in the United States and Coahuila in Mexico.[1]
This cactus is disc-shaped or cylindrical and usually unbranched. It has a flat top. It usually measures 2 to 5 centimeters in width. It is so thickly covered in pale-colored spines that it is white or yellowish in color. There are up to 90 on each areole. The longest are about 7 millimeters in length. The delicate pale pink[2] flowers are up to 1.7 centimeters long and wide.[1] The red fruit is about a centimeter long.[2] Much of the plant is located below ground, with a few centimeters above. It contracts into the ground during dry periods.[2]
This cactus grows on rocky or gravelly limestone substrates. Threats to the species include poaching and habitat degradation. It is in cultivation at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.[2]
The specific epithet honors Norman H. Boke, plant anatomist and student of the Cactaceae.[3]
References
- 1 2 Epithelantha bokei. Flora of North America.
- 1 2 3 4 Epithelantha bokei. Center for Plant Conservation.
- ↑ Powell, A.M., Weedin, J.F. 2005. Cacti of the Trans-Pecos and Adjacent Areas. Texas Tech University Press