Sclerocactus papyracanthus

Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Sclerocactus
Species:
S. papyracanthus
Binomial name
Sclerocactus papyracanthus
Synonyms

Echinocactus papyracanthus
Mammillaria papyracantha
Pediocactus papyracanthus
Toumeya papyracantha

Sclerocactus papyracanthus is a species of cactus known by the common names paperspine fishhook cactus,[3] grama grass cactus, paper-spined cactus, and toumeya. It is native to North America, where it occurs from Arizona to New Mexico to Texas and into Chihuahua, Northeastern Mexico.[1]

Description

Sclerocactus papyracanthus is small cactus grows up to 8 centimeters tall by 2.5 wide. It is covered in so many spines they obscure the stems beneath. They are white, tan, or gray in color, papery in texture, and sometimes twisted or wavy in shape.

The actual shape of the flower is an oval pedal. The flower is up to 2.5 centimeters long and have light-colored outer tepals with dark midstripes. The fruit is green and dry at maturity.[4]

Distribution and habitat

This plant grows in pinyon-juniper woodland and Chihuahuan Desert grassland habitat, usually amidst grama grass (Bouteloua spp.), especially blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis). It is often hard to see the cactus because its spines look like the leaves of the grass.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 Sclerocactus papyracanthus. The Nature Conservancy.
  2. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ↑ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Sclerocactus papyracanthus". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  4. ↑ Sclerocactus papyracanthus. Flora of North America.
  5. ↑ Matthews, Robin F. 1994. Pediocactus papyracanthus. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer).
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