Biology:Disocactus ackermannii

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Short description: Species of cactus

Disocactus ackermannii
Disocactus ackermannii1.jpg
From Curtis's Botanical Register, 1830
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Disocactus
Species:
D. ackermannii
Binomial name
Disocactus ackermannii
(Haw.) Barthlott[2]
Synonyms
  • Nopalxochia ackermannii Cactus ackermannii
  • (Haw.) Lindl. Haw.
  • (Haw.) F.M.Knuth Weberocereus ackermannii
  • Heliocereus ackermannii (Haw.) S.S.Ying
  • Epiphyllum ackermannii (Haw.) Doweld

Disocactus ackermannii is an epiphytic cactus from tropical forests in the states of Veracruz and Oaxaca, Mexico. In cultivation, it has been confused with Disocactus × jenkinsonii, a hybrid between D. phyllanthoides and D. speciosus.[3]

Description

Close-up of the pistil and stamens

The stems of Disocactus ackermannii consist of a short rounded base, about 10–18 cm (4–7 in) long, followed by longer flattened leaf-like portions, 10–75 cm (4–30 in) long and 5–7 cm (2–3 in) wide with wavy edges. The plant branches from the base and arches downwards, being altogether some 1 m (3 ft) long. The scarlet flowers have greenish throats and are funnel shaped, 11–15 cm (4.3–5.9 in) or even longer and up to 15 cm (5.9 in) across. The filaments are red but the base is usually greenish. The anthers are pale rose. The style are red. The stigma is purplish. Fertilized flowers are followed by green to brownish red fruits, 4 cm (1.6 in) long and 2–2.5 cm (0.8–1.0 in) wide.[2][4]

Range and habitat

Disocactus ackermannii is native to the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Veracruz in southern Mexico. It inhabits cloud forests in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca and Chiapas Highlands between 1,800 and 2,500 meters elevation.[1]

Taxonomy

The species was originally named Epiphyllum ackermannii by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1829. There are three sets of synonyms:[2]

  • Haworth's Epiphyllum ackermannii was successively transferred to Cactus ackermannii (1830), Cereus ackermannii (1837), Phyllocactus ackermannii (1842) and Nopalxochia ackermannii (1935) before the current Disocactus ackermannii (1991).
  • Phyllocactus weingartii A.Berger is an independent synonym.
  • Nopalxochia conzattianum was named by Thomas Baillie MacDougall in 1947. It was successively transferred to Pseudonopalxochia conzattianum (1959) and Nopalxochia ackermannii var. conzattianum (1981) before the current Disocactus ackermannii var. conzattianum (1991).

Two varieties are currently recognized. D. a. var. ackermannii has longer cladodes (flattened stem portions), 35–75 cm (14–30 in) long, and longer tepals, 7–10 cm (3–4 in) long. D. a. var. conzattianum has shorter cladodes, 10–50 cm (4–20 in) long, shorter hypanthia, 2.8 cm (1.1 in) long, and shorter tepals, 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4 in) long.[2][4]

Cultivation

In cultivation, Disocactus × jenkinsonii, a hybrid between D. phyllanthoides and D. speciosus, has been confused with D. ackermannii and is often distributed under the name "Phyllocactus ackermannii".[5]

Disocactus ackermannii has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.[6][7]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Arias, S. & Ishiki, M. 2017. Disocactus ackermannii (amended version of 2013 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T152413A121474010. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T152413A121474010.en. Accessed 22 February 2023.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Anderson, Edward F. (2001), The Cactus Family, Pentland, Oregon: Timber Press, ISBN 978-0-88192-498-5 , p. 222
  3. Heath, P. V. (1989). "The strange and curious tale of the true and false Epiphyllum ackermannii (Cactaceae)". Taxon 38 (1): 124–128. doi:10.2307/1220912. ISSN 1996-8175. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2307/1220912. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 Bravo-Hollis, Helia; Sánchez-Mejorada, Hernando (1978) (in es). Las Cactáceas de México. 1. México: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. pp. 509–512. 
  5. Anderson 2001, p. 226
  6. "RHS Plantfinder - Disocactus ackermannii". https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/327515/i-Disocactus-ackermannii-i/Details. 
  7. "AGM Plants - Ornamental". Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 16. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf. 

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q139813 entry