Ferocactus John Pilbeam and Derek Bowdery
Contents Preface
2
Acknowledgements
2
Introduction
4
Classification
6...
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Ferocactus John Pilbeam and Derek Bowdery
Contents Preface
2
Acknowledgements
2
Introduction
4
Classification
6
Ferocactus fruits
8
Key to· the species
9
Cultivation
12
Map of distribution area
14
Geography and distribution
15
Species as they occur in the southern USA and Mexico (by states)
Checklist of species
17
Species commentary
18
Referred and other superfluous names
106
Field Collection Numbers
111
Bibliography
115
Herbaria
116
Herbaria where Ferocactus have been deposited
First Edition 2005 © British Cactus and Succulent Society, John Pilbeam, Derek Bowdery and photographers.
ISBN: 0 902099 76 0
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the permission of the Publisher and Copyright owners. The copyright of all photographs remains with the credited photographer.
Published and distributed by: The British Cactus and Succulent Society Authors: John Pilbeam and Derek Bowdery DesignIProduction: David Neville and Graham Charles Repro and Printing by: Castle Colour, Norwich U.K.
Preface For some years now I have watched the enthusiasm of Derek Bowdery for the genus Ferocactus with wonder and awe at his skill in growing these plants. When many of us after a few years would leave their seed-raised plants of this genus in a toe-cramping pot of about l5cm for many years before, maybe, potting them on to at most a 25cm pot, Derek has steadily pushed his plants on, watered them well and fed them mightily to produce the sort of plants after about 20 years that we have seen comparably only in the wild, or field grown in nurseries in climates kinder than in the UK. The accolade of a gold medal for a display of the (all but) complete genus of Ferocactus at a Royal Horticultural Society display a few years ago, was matched only by the sunshine which shone down on the plants on the stand, which brought out the colours of the spines wonderfully in celestial approval of his efforts. Many of his seed-raised plants have flowered, and the sight of these football or larger sized representatives of a genus that few of us grow to their full potential is one of the best sights in the hobby. Helping him to lift them and transport them to such a display is quite another matter, and one not to dwell on
here, especially as they are liable to show their lack of appreciation of suffering the indignity of being so unnaturally moved about, with severe attacks from their spines, for which they are so aptly named "Fero(cious)cactus". Travelling with Derek in the wilds of Mexico is an education too with regard to this genus, with the frequent cry of "STOP" from him as he espied yet another Ferocactus beckoning him from the hillsides, and we would be dragged to them, not protesting too much, to admire the spines, the flowers or just the sheer bulk of this wonderful beacon of the cactus world, beaming out from the hills as an indicator of cactus habitats. I am grateful to him for this education, and I am grateful to him too for agreeing to co-operate in producing this book on the genus. Long may he cry "STOP" to me, I always will for these beautiful plants. John Pilbeam
Acknowledgements Our grateful thanks are due to our companion on the various trips we have made, Bill Weightman, although he was one of the more difficult drivers to make STOP on occasions. He made up for this however by taking somewhat better photographs than at least one of the authors is capable of taking. We must also single out for special mention Nigel Taylor, who found time to read our efforts and make useful suggestions, as well as bringing his key up to date. In addition he agreed in anticipation of this book to describe the hitherto undescribed subspecies of F. fordii, which has long been commonly grown as this species although the original description is of a plant from much further south and rarely seen in cultivation. Thanks are also due to the various other volunteers of photographs, both of plants in captivity, and, perhaps more importantly of plants in the wild, where they reach their full potential in both size, coloration and flowering capabilities. They include: Robin Alabaster, Erik Anderson, Ted Andersont, Salvador Arias Montes, Sonia Barker-Frickert, Ron Bates, Darl Bickel, Janos BodoI', Jean Bonnefond, Jean-Marc
Chalet, Graham Charles, Joe Clements, Mick Cotter, Colin Cutler, Amante Darmanin, Martin Edwards, Charles Glasst, Alan Hart, Paul Hoxey, Gary James, Bert Jonkers, Brian Kemble, Frank Keoghan, David Kirkbright, Martin Kristen & Julia Etter, Fred Lampo, Alfred Lau, Joel Lode, Martin Lowry, Eberhard Lutz, John Miller, Mark Muradian, David Neville, John and Dorothy Pasek, Bill Pluemer, Malcolm Pym, Gordon Rowley, David Rushforth, Nigel Taylor, Aldo Torrebruno, Robin Walton, Franziska & Richard Wolf, Milan Zachar. Lastly, many thanks to David Neville and Graham Charles for laying out the book in such an attractive way.
Fig. 1 (opposite page): In early August, the spectacular flower display of F. emoryi subsp. emoryi, west of Peter's Comer, Arizona, USA
Introduction The genus Ferocactus is not as widely grown in cultivation as it might be, and does not often receive the attention from growers that the plants need for best results. In the climates of the kinder States of the USA with the advantage of little danger of frost, many can be grown outdoors, and in these circumstances these plants do well. In the UK they can with advantage be placed outdoors in the summer months, when they will not be so liable to be disfigured with sooty mould, and will develop their spines to best potential. There are a handful of species that are smaller growing than most, which will flower at 15cm diameter or less, notably F. fordii subsp. borealis, F. viridescens, F. macrodiscus, and F. alamosanus and subsp. reppenhagenii. F. latispinus at this size too will produce buds in cultivation in the UK in late August to early September, but usually needs coddling by removal to a sunny position indoors in the dwelling house with higher temperatures than normally maintained in the glasshouse, else the buds tend to abort with the lower night temperatures and shortening days. Many of the larger growing species will oblige when they get to small football size, and this has proved to be the case in the last few years in Derek's collection in Norfolk, where flowers have also been forthcoming on F. chrysacanthus, F. cylindraceus (and subsp. eastwoodiae), F. echidne, F. emoryi (and subsp. rectispinus), F. glaucescens, F. gracilis (and subsp. coloratus and subsp. gatesii), F. histrix, F. peninsulae (and subsp. santa-maria and subsp. townsendianus), F. pilosus, F. schwarzii and F. wislizeni.
British Cactus and Succulent Society. The authors have taken into account Lindsay's doctoral thesis on the genus of 1955, published with additional material by other Ferocactus enthusiasts, including research on the DNA analysis by J. Hugo Cota, when he was working at the Department of Botany, Iowa State University and the Centro de Educacion Ambiental e Investigacion Sierra de Huautla (CEAMISH) at the Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos, Mexico. We have also been influenced to some extent by the treatment of the genus by Gottfried Unger in his massive book Die grossen Kugelkakteen Nordamerikas, some of whose theories we have some sympathy with. Franziska and Richard Wolf's lovely books Baja California und seine Inseln (1999) and Die Ferokakteen der Baja California (2004) have been enlightening too with many habitat photographs taken on the islands around Baja California, most of which they visited. The species of various other genera which have been assigned to this genus are covered in the chapter called 'Referred and other superfluous names', with an indication of the genus to which they are more generally considered to belong; also in this part of the book are those other Ferocactus names which have been applied to the accepted species of the genus, with their application indicated. So, if you do not find a name you seek in the first part of the book, in the 'Species commentary', look for it in the 'Referred' chapter. If you do not find it there either, it may mean that it is a catalogue name with no validity, has not been validly published, or has been published after the publication date of this book.
They undoubtedly benefit from being potted on every two or three years at least, to encourage them to grow to flowering size that much more quickly, although age has some relevance in this area, and there are underpotted plants in some people's collections which have been virtually dwarfed, producing flowers at what seems an unnaturally small size - but this is not to be advocated for best results. Recommendations for growing them successfully are included in the chapter on cultivation. The species included here are mostly those which are recognized by Nigel Taylor in his review of the genus published in 1984 in Bradleya, the yearbook of the
4
Fig. 2 (opposite page): The tall columns of F. cylindraceus subsp. lecontei on a steep hillside in eastern Arizona, USA
Classification The genus was set up by Britton and Rose in their classic work The Cactaceae, published in four volumes between 1919 and 1923. Ferocactus is covered in volume 3 from page 123 to 147. Of particular interest are three photographs including people of the time: figure 143 seems to be of a young boy behind a large clump of F. robustus, which looks suspiciously like the one featured in this book; figure 153b is a photograph of F. rostii (F. cylindraceus) taken by E. C. Rost, and including a moustachioed, elderly man, a good foot shorter than the plant, standing questioningly by it with a pick as if to say "You don't really mean that you want me to dig this one out?". But the best is one taken by Dr. MacDougal in 1903 of a man drinking from his cupped hands liquid obtained from a beheaded Ferocactus, illustrating graphically the information in the text on the previous page, where the reader is informed that "water is often obtained by travelers in the great deserts of western Mexico and the southwestern United States ... by slicing off the top of a large plant and mashing the pulp". Britton and Rose's definition of the genus is as follows: "Globular to cylindric, often large cacti; ribs thick and prominent; spines well developed, either straight or hooked; areoles usually large, bearing flowers only when young and then only just above the spineclusters, more or less felted when young; flowers usually large, broadly funnel-shaped to campanulate, usually with a very short tube; stamens numerous, borne on the throat, short; ovary and flower-tube very scaly; scales naked in their axils; fruit oblong, usually thick-walled and dry, dehiscing by a large basal pore; seeds black, pitted, never tuberculate; embryo curved. Type species: Echinocactus wislizeni Engelmann... "The generic name is from ferus - wild, fierce, and cactus, referring to the very spiny character of the plants. "We recognize 30 species, heretofore treated under Echinocactus, all from North America. The genus differs from Echinocactus proper in its fruits and flowers." Thereafter Britton and Rose listed the 30 species in a key, which in view of subsequent changes we have not
reproduced here. But the list of species originally included is of interest, and in alphabetical order (with the currently accepted name in brackets) is as follows: F. acanthodes (F. cylindraceus); F. alamosanus; F. chrysacanthus; F. covillei (F. emoryi); F crassihamatus (Sclerocactus); F. diguetii; F echidne; F. jlavovirens; F fordii; F. glaucescens; F. hamatacanthus; F. horridus (F. peninsulae); F. johnsonii (Sclerocactus); F. latispinus; F. lecontei (F. cylindraceus subsp. lecontei); F. macrodiscus; F. melocactiformis (F. histrix); F. nobilis (F. recurvus); F. orcuttii (F. viridescens); F. peninsulae; F. pringlei (F. pilosus); F rectispinus (F. emoryi subsp. rectispinus); F. robustus; F. rostii (F. cylindraceus); F. santa-maria (F. peninsulae subsp. santa-maria); F. stainesii (F. pilosus); F. townsendianus (F. peninsulae subsp. townsendianus); F. uncinatus (Sclerocactus); F. viridescens; F. wislizeni.
The next major work on the genus was by George Lindsay, a thesis produced in 1955, but unpublished until 1996 when it was printed with some textual and photographic additions by modem enthusiasts for the genus. The original work formed the basis for Nigel Taylor's review of the genus published in 1984 in Bradleya 2, the yearbook of the British Cactus and Succulent Society. Gottfried Unger published his work on this genus and Echinocactus in 1992 entitled Die grossen Kugelkakteen Nordamerikas, which contains much information by way of reproduced material, as well as some original thought on some of the problem areas in the genus. In its nearly 500 pages it contains an incredible amount of information, reflecting the scope that computers have enabled us to plumb without the slog of the old typewriter days, as well as nearly 300 colour photographs, many in habitat. The classification we have followed in this book is basically that set out by Nigel Taylor in his review of 1984, following the preliminary study based on the morphology of seeds in the previous year's Bradleya by Taylor and Jonathan Y. Clark.
This resulted in the division of the genus into two Sections, each with two groups as follows:
Section Ferocactus
Section Bisnaga
Ripe fruit yellow, rarely pink, with a thick fleshy wall but dry interior, the seeds generally escaping via a pore formed around the base of the fruit as it becomes detached; seeds with a broad hilum-micropylar rim, mostly black, shiny or dull, to 3mm long.
Ripe fruit red, pink or purplish, rarely yellow or whitish, interior very juicy and sweet, not dehiscing via a basal pore but sometimes rupturing near apex and extruding seeds in liquid; seeds with a sharp, narrow hilum-micropylar rim, brown to black, very glossy, mostly less than 2mm long.
Type (as for genus): F. wislizeni (Engelm.) B. & R. Type: F.
lati~pinus
(Haw.) B. & R.
F. ROBUSTUS GROUP F. GLAUCESCENS GROUP Spines typically numerous (more than 10 per areole) and often differentiated into, or varying between very fine, bristle-like and stout. Seeds with tabular to shallow or deeply orchidoid testa-cells, periclinal walls sometimes verrucose. Includes: F. chrysacanthus, F. cylindraceus, F. fordii, F. gracilis, F. johnstonianus, F. pilosus, F. robustus, F. peninsulae, F. viridescens, F. wislizeni.
F. POTISII GROUP Spines up to 10 per areole, of more or less uniform thickness. Seeds with tabular-concave testa-cells. Includes: F. diguetii, F. emoryi, F. lindsayi *, F. pottsii.
Stems caespitose or solitary, with up to 20 ribs; spines terete, more or less straight. Seeds very smooth with tabular or very shallowly orchidoid testa-cells. Includes: F. alamosanus, F. echidne, F. flavovirens, F. glaucescens, F. schwarzii.
F. LATISPINUS GROUP Stems solitary, sometimes very large; central spines often flattened dorsi-ventrally, straight or curved, or recurved to hooked at apex. Seeds with tabularconcave ('pitted') testa-cells. Includes: F. haematacanthus, F. hamatacanthus, F. histrix, F. latispinus, F. macrodiscus, F. recurvus**.
This book contains five new combinations; On page 82: Ferocactus peninsulae subsp. santa-maria stat. nov. On page 83: Ferocactus peninsulae subsp. townsendianus stat. nov. On page 91: Ferocactus recurvus subsp. greenwoodii stat. nov. On page 103: Ferocatus wislizeni subsp. herrerae stat. nov. On page 105: Ferocactus wislizeni subsp. tiburonensis stat. nov.
* Placed here in 1987 (Bradleya 5); previously misplaced ** Regarded by Taylor as F. latispinus subsp. spiralis
Ferocactus fruits As indicated in the classification above the fruil forms an easily observed basis for dividing the genus into the
two sections.
In Section Ferocactus the ripe fruil is yellow, rarely pink, with a thick fleshy wall but dry interior, the
seeds usually escaping through a small hole at the base of the fruit.
In the Section Bisnaga the ripe fruil is red, pink or purplish, rarely yellow or whitish, the interior very juicy and sweet, not dehiscing by a basal pore but sometimes rupturing near the apex and extruding seeds in liquid.
In the wild ants are often seen busy around the fruits, as well as taking the nectar exuded by the glands above the areoles of many species, and they seem to be favourite for carrying the seeds off to pastures new, if not too distant. The sweet liquid jelly exuded by those in the Section Bisnaga we suspect aUracts birds or other larger creatures, who likewise then carry off the seeds in the sticky mass either internally or perhaps externally too. The accompanying photographs of some of the fruits show what an attractive addition they are to the appearance of the plants after their usually sumptuous flower display.
Key to the species This is modified by Nigel Taylor from that in his review of the genus in Bradleya 2, pages 19-20 (1984), taking into account his later notes in Bradleya 5 (1987), pages 95-96, relating to F. lindsay; and F. pilosus. I. Stems highly branched, forming large clusters or mounds more than 2m diameter; stems less than 25cm diameter, with 8 to 13(-15) ribs; spines more than 13 per areole; seeds with tabular testa-cells, not pitted (Mexico, south-east Puebla to north Oaxaca) 2 1. Stem solitary or, if clustered, then either stems, ribs, spines or seeds not as above 2. Flowers and fruits red; stem ribs (11-) 13(-15)
3 F. navovirens
2. Flowers and fruits yellow; stem ribs 8
F. robustus
3. Spines I-II per areole, straight or slightly curved, none strongly flattened above or recurved to hooked at apex 4 3. Spines more than II per areole or at least one strongly flattened and/or recurved to hooked at apex, or stem 15 ribs 13-16 and spiralled 4. Seeds smooth or with reticulate marking, but not pitted
5
4. Seeds pitted
8
5. Spines 1-6(-8), more or less equal, to 2.5(-5.5)cm long; stems 15-50(-60)cm diameter
6
5. Spines usually more than 7, unequal, the central longer, 3-lOcm; stems to 25 (-30)cm diameter
7
6. Stem glaucous; seeds very smooth (east Mexico)
F. glaucescens
6. Stem dark green, seeds with a reticulate pattern of raised testa-cell margins (west F. schwarzii Mexico, Sinaloa) 7. Areoles well separated on the ribs, 2-4cm apart; stems often clustered; stigmas 10-14 (east Mexico) ......................................................................F. echidne 7. Areoles about Icm apart or more or less confluent on the ribs; stem solitary; stigmas about 7 (west Mexico) ..................................................................F. alamosanus 8. Fruit red to purple, indehiscent, and/or very juicy and deliquescent; ribs acute; stem not exceeding 1.2m high 8. Fruit yellow or dehiscing by a basal pore; ribs obtuse or acute; stem 30cm to 4m high 9. Flowers yellow; seed about Imm 9. Flowers red to purplish-pink; seed about 1.8 to 2mm
9
11 F. histrix 10
10. Stem globular to cylindric, 30-120cm high; flower 6-7cm long o.. 0 00 00' . 0.. of. haematacanthus 10. Stem depressed-globose, disc-shaped, to about 10cm high; flower 3-4cm long . 0. 00. 000. 0.. 0. 0. 0.. 000.. F. macrodiscus · 0. 000.. 00000.. 0 11 . Central spine I per areole, conspicuous .. 0. 00.. 000
0
12
11. Central spines 4 or not distinct from radials; seeds 1.5-2mm
14
12. Fruit red; seed 1mm, elongate-curved (Michoacan) 00.... 0. 000. 0.. 000. 0. 00.. of. lindsayi 12. Fruit yellow; seed 2-3mm, ovoid (north-west Mexico, south-west USA) . 00. 0.. 00.... 00.13 13. Flower to 4.5cm long; stem to 1m high (Mexico, south-west Chihuahua, south-east Sonora, north Sinaloa) ............ 0 0 0.0.00 .. 0 F. pottsii 13. Flower 6-7.5cm long; stem to 205m high (USA, south Arizona to Mexico, north Sinaloa, mainland Baja 0.. 0 0 F. emoryi California Sur) 0. 0. 0 0.. 0.. 000. 0 14. Stem ribs about 13-20; spines usually red, some more or less flattened or angled, hairlike whitish spines often present; stems often in clumps (central northern Mexico) ................. 000000 00.000.0 .. 0.0.000.0 .. 00 00 o ' 00.F. pilosus 14. Stem ribs 25-35; spines clear yellow, rarely reddish-brown, terete, all of one type; stem solitary (islands on west side of Gulf of California) F. diguetii 15. Scales on receptacle-tube and fruit with long narrowly attenuate apices (central north and south Mexico) 0 0.. *F. latispinus · . 00. 000. 000 0 000. 00. 00.. 0 15. Scales not as above
00
16
16. Fruit pinkish-red and indehiscent, and/or very juicy, deliquescent, releasing the 0000 00000.. 0.. 000017 seeds in fluid .. 0 16. Fruit yellow or dehiscing by a basal pore when fully ripe. 0
0
0. 00.. 000
19
17. Spines straight or curved but not hooked at apex; flower 3-4cm, short-tubed .. 0... 0.. 00. 00.. 00000.18 17. At least one spine per areole hooked at apex; flower 6-1 Ocm, with a long tube · 0 0
00 0. 000.. 0 0.. 0.. F. hamatacanthus
180 Flowers purplish-pink to red, tepals with paler margins: seeds to 2mm 00.. 00 .0 000000000.000.000.0 0. 0 o
18. Flowers yellow; seeds about 1mm
0
0
F. macrodiscus
••
0.. 00. 0
0
0
F. histrix
19. Radial spines 7-9 per areole, terete, only slightly thinner than the solitary terete or laterally compressed central 0 00. 000. 00. 0.. 0000of. emoryi 19. Radial spines more than 9 or at least some much thinner than the one or more centrals
*Inciudes F recurvus. regarded by Taylor as F /ati.\pinus subsp. spira/is
10
20
200 Perianth-segments remaining more or less erect at anthesis; flowers to 205cm diameter; stems often clustering, to 3m high; principal spines 6-12, none curved or hooked at apex, often accompanied by very fine hair-like radials (central north Mexico) 000.000.00 ... 00.. of. pilosus 200 Perianth-segments spreading; flowers 3.5-6cm diameter, stems rarely clustering; spines not 00. 0. 000... 021 as above or centrals and radials intergrading (north-west Mexico and USA) o
•••
21. Flowers violet-purple to lilac (Mexico, west coast of Baja California, Bahia Sebastian Viscaino to about 31 ° N) 0000.. 0. 0 0. 0. 0 0 0.. 0 of. fordii 21. Flowers green, yellow, orange or red
00.. 00. 0.. 000. 0. 0.. 0. 0.. 0
00
22. Spines clearly differentiated into stout dark coloured centrals plus upper and lower radials, and finer whitish laterally directed radials, or the latter absent, and seeds with tabular testa-cells 0 0. 0.. 0 22. Spines in each areole intergrading in size and colour; seeds with concave 000. 0.. 0.. 0 testa-cells 0000.. 0. 00. 000. 0.. 0
00. 0.22
0
23
25
23. Largest of the upward and downward directed central spines equally flattened and similar, curved but not normally hooked at apex, or fruits to 7.5cm long; flowers red (Mexico, Baja California 28-31° N) ............. 00. 0 000 .. 00. 0 00 0 00 .. 0 0 F. gracilis 23. Largest central spine more flattened than the others or otherwise dissimilar, often strongly recurved or 00.. 0 00. 0 24 hooked; flowers red to yellow; fruits to 6cm long . 00. 0.. 0.. 0 24. Seeds with tabular, finely verrucose, more or less isodiametric testa-cells, the raised anticlinal walls at the margin of each cell not prominent (south-west USA; Mexico, Chihuahua, Sonora, north Sinaloa, west Durango) 0.. 0
F. wislizeni
24. Seeds with tabular to concave, coarsely verrucose testa-cells, the verrucae few and separate, the raised cell margins prominent, or the cells oblong (Mexico, Baja California, Baja California Sur, from 29° N to the Cape) 0. 00of. peninsulae 25. Flowers greenish; spines to 5cm long; seed about 1.5mm (Mexico, north-west Baja California west of Sierra San Pedro, Sierra Martir and Sierra Juarez; USA, California near San Diego) ........ 0 0 0 00. 0. 0 F. viridescens 25. Flowers yellow, orange or reddish, or green but with other colours in the same population; spines to 5-l7cm 0.. 0 00.. 00 26 long; seeds about 2-3mm . 0 0. 0.. 0. 0. 0.. 000. 0 26. Central and radial spines more or less equal in number (10), the former mostly porrect, to 5cm long, twisted flattened and fairly uniform, or flowers orange to red with 4-5mm wide inner perianth-segments (Mexico, west Baja California, below Punta Abreojos to Isla Cedros) ..... 00. 00. 00 0 00. 0.. 00.. 00. 0 F. chrysacanthus 26. Central spines fewer than radials and 4 of the former much larger than the others, to 7-17cm long, or central spines more or less adpressed or not differentiated from radial spines; inner perianth-segments 7-llmm wide (Mexico, east and north-west Baja California, north-west Sonora; south-west USA) 00. 0.. 0 00.. 0.. 0. 000.. 0 **F. cylindraceus o.
"*Includes F jolmstonianlls, regarded by Taylor as probably a disjunct island relation of F cylindraceus
11
Cultivation Like all cacti in cultivation Ferocactus need plenty of light, watering in the growing period, repotting (especially in the early years of their growth), protection from frost and excessive wetting in less kind climates, and provision of sufficient nutrients to enable growth to be slowly but steadily achieved. The usual precautions against attack from the various pests also need to be taken, although they are themselves well equipped to resist attack from domestic animals, including their owners. What follows is a guide mainly directed to growers in the United Kingdom; readers in other countries will hopefully have developed their own ways of keeping their plants in their particular climatic conditions.
Light Light is, as with most cacti, essential for healthy growth, and in the summer months these plants more than many cacti benefit from being in the open air to maximize the amount of sunlight they receive. Certainly in habitat in the southern USA and Mexico they are sun-seeking, growing out in the open and taking all the sunshine they get with equanimity. In the UK this largely solves the problem of sooty mould forming on the sugary secretion these plants make from glands above the areoles, of which more below. If kept continuously in a glasshouse shading is unnecessary, but air circulation in sunny weather should be maintained to prevent the plants scorching through too much heat in confined conditions, especially if they are close to the glass. From early spring onwards it is important that the plants receive the maximum light. To this end the glass should be cleaned and any winter protection by way of plastic should be removed.
growing to swell the plants and let them know that the time has come for growth. Allow the plants to dry out before watering again - the time this takes will depend on the size of pots the individual plants are in, varying from a week or two for pots below about 10cm in diameter, to as much as a month for larger pots. As the spring gives way to summer watering can be increased, and once danger of night frost is past the plants may be stood outside the glasshouse. Protection will be necessary from slugs and snails, which will relish this exotic change of diet, spines or not. The wool on the areoles, when plants are kept outside, does tend to lose its colour and become greyish and, if there is excessive rain (not uncommon in the UK), nutrients are quickly leached from the pots. In this case, reponing in the winter following is advised. As summer comes to an end, reduce the frequency of watering, and bring the plants inside the glasshouse as soon as there is danger of frost. Water should be withheld from large pots (20cm or more) from the end of September to give them time to dry off completely before the late autumn, smaller plants can be watered until about the end of October.
Feeding Fertilizers with a high potash content may be used during the growing period at full strength recommended (any fertilizer recommended for tomatoes, chrysanthemums or roses is fine); this will promote good growth of spines as well as the plants, and will encourage flowering. It makes sense to give the fertilizer mixture a day or two after a general watering when the plants' roots are in active growth, so that the maximum uptake of the nutrients is achieved; this secondary fertilizer dosing can then be less in quantity as well as more effective
Watering Compost Watering depends on the individual grower's conditions where the plants are kept, but should broadly follow that recommended for most other cacti. This means none in the cold winter months, to allow the plants to indulge in the rest period for which they are well adapted, and to avoid any inclination to grow when light is at a low level, which will result in soft, uncharacteristic growth and weak spine development, if not their demise from the combination of low temperatures and dampness. One good watering on the first really sunny day in early spring will wake the plants up and get the hair roots
12
The potting medium is a vexed subject, and if the reader has a mixture which suits his plants then the advice is stick to it, and experiment carefully with any changes adopted. A compost based on soil, preferably with a clay-like appearance seems to give good results, with the addition of small particle grit to open the mixture and facilitate drainage; two parts of compost to one of grit seems to be about right.
Repotting Moving the plants on into the next sized pot in the first few years will encourage them to develop quickly. Even when they are in pots exceeding 15cm they will benefit from such repotting every 2 or 3 years as the soil will have exhausted any nutrients, and the humus content will have broken down and reduced the ability to hold water, to the detriment of the plant. The common sense time to repat seems to be, as for most plants, when they are resting in the winter, so that any damage to the roots is given time to callus before being in contact with water in the soil. Use a dryish mixture when repotting, and withhold water for at least 2 or 3 weeks afterwards. Topdressing the compost with a layer of grit not only improves the appearance of the potted plant but slows down the transpiration of water from the compost during the growing period as well as preventing mud splashes on the plants when watering, or the formation of mosses and algae on the surface. As with most very spiny plants, and this certainly applies to all species of Ferocactus, we have found that a thick cushion of several layers of either crumpled newspaper or, better, bubble polythene on the work surface enables carefully laying the plant down sideways on this cushion, and then tipping out the plant sideways from the pot by knocking the pot away with sharp taps on the rim. The rootball can then be grasped to lift the plant into position in the new pot, which should have sufficient depth of compost in the bottom already to keep the plant more or less at its previous level, followed by carefully and gently tamping fresh compost around the rootball. In this way neither the plant's spines are damaged, nor, if you are careful, do you have to come into contact with the spines.
Temperature Most species will be happy with a minimum winter temperature of 5°C, but some will do better and be less likely to suffer cold damage if lOOC can be provided. This particularly seems to apply to F. latispinus, F. recurvus, F. robustus and F.flavovirens. Having said that, there are growers in the UK who provide no heat, drying the plants off at the latest by mid-September, and their plants seem not to suffer at all, but in these circumstances it is advisable to keep the air moving in the glasshouse by means of a fan.
Pests The usual pests of cacti, mealy bug and red spider mite, will attack your Ferocactus plants given a chance. A bad infestation of either is best treated with a systemic insecticide, thoroughly drenching the plants to ensure
maximum effect. But if your collection is relatively clean, and only slightly affected by an advance party of either pest, then a contact insecticide will keep them at bay. Constant inspection for early signs of attack is advisable to avert serious damage by these insidious pests. If using any insecticide do remember that they are dangerous chemicals, and full precautions to avoid skin contact or inhalation of the vapour from them should be rigorously followed. Leave the glasshouse for several hours at least after their use, and wash face and hands and any other exposed skin. Predators are fashionable at present for pest control, but that is all they will do, control them, they do not usually eradicate them completely and have the disadvantage of needing for their survival warmer conditions in the winter than usually economically possible to provide.
Sooty mould Most species of Ferocactus bear a gland at the top of each areole, which exudes nectar. If the nectar is allowed to remain on the plant a mould will form, the fruiting parts of which form an unsightly black coating around the areole, as well as the spines and body of the plant, wherever the nectar is present, spoiling the appearance of the plant. Once formed this mould is very difficult to remove. One way of prevention is to spray regularly with water (preferably rainwater as this leaves no residue), so that the nectar is constantly washed away as fast as it is produced. Another method of combating the formation of sooty mould is to encourage sufficient ants, bees, hover-flies or wasps to the glasshouse, which all love to sup the nectar. Unfortunately this marshalling of insect help is not very easy to achieve, and there are some disadvantages in introducing the most effective of these, the ants. In the summer months the plants can with some advantage be placed outside, so that they are more accessible to these beneficial insects and subject to occasional washing from our inevitable summer showers, but it is left to the reader to decide which method could be most effective in his or her situation bearing in mind the remarks above in the paragraph about watering. Plants placed outside in the UK are subject to scorch unless gradually acclimatized to the extra light, and a position giving some dappled shade for at least part of the day is advisable. Finally let us reiterate the advice given at the beginning of this chapter: if you have found methods of growing your plants which work carry on using them.
13
Map of distribution area
~ahamas
Key to states of the U.S.A. I. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
California Nevada Utah Colorado Arizona New Mexico Texas Oklahoma
Key to Mexican states Baja California Baja California Sur Sonora Chihuahua Coahuila Sinaloa Durango Nuevo Leon Tamaulipas
14
18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 39.
Zacatecas Nayarit San Luis Potosi Aguascalientes Jalisco Guanajuato Queretaro Hidalgo Veracruz Colima Michoacan Mexico Tlaxcala Puebla Morelos Guerrero Oaxaca Chiapas Tabasco Yucatan Quintana Roo
Geography and Distribution As well as the more obvious tall, columnar cacti, Ferocactus species throughout their distribution in the southern United States and in Mexico are often among the most prominent cacti in the wild, and are often indicators of a kindly cactus habitat, where other, smaller genera might be found. They are mostly found in rocky terrain, although some do occur also on the flat. They are in general not high altitude plants, seeming to prefer the lower slopes, rather than upper reaches of the mountains where they occur, although some are found at quite high altitudes, often as outliers of more abundant occurrence at lower levels. Alfred Lau's highest recorded altitude for any species is 2, 100m - F pilosus in Coahuila, closely followed by F alamosanus subsp. reppenhagenii, at 1,500 to 2,OOOm, most other species recorded· at altitudes from sea level to about 1,000m. Werner Reppenhagen records F latispinus at up to 2,500m in Hidalgo and F recurvus in Puebla at the same altitude. F lati~pinus occurs also at 2,300m in San Luis POtOSI and in Mexico D.E, and at 2,400m in Guanajuato, the same species and F histrix at up to 2, 100m in Queretaro, F histrix and F echidne and F glaucescens in Hidalgo at 1,500 to 1,900m; also F histrix in Zacatecas at nearly 2,000m. He also records F robustus at 2,1 OOm in Puebla, F flavovirens in Puebla at 1,900m, F recurvus in Oaxaca at 1,600m, F alamosanus subsp. reppenhagenii at 2,000m to 2,300m in Michoacan and in Colima at 1,200m, F pilosus in Durango at 1,700m, and F macrodiscus at 2,300m in Oaxaca. Most other species occur from almost sea-level to about 1,500m. The maps accompanying each taxon in the chapter 'Species commentary' are based on reliable reported localities for these plants and the authors' own observations. They give an approximate idea of the spread of each taxon, and are by no means precise. (Altitudes arc those listed by Alfred Lau and Werner Reppenhagen, and recorded by Nigel Taylor)
USA ARIZONA: F cylindraceus (60-600m), F cylindraceus subsp. eastwoodiae (390-1, 140m), F cylindraceus subsp. lecontei (300-1 ,500m), F emoryi. F wislizeni CALIFORNIA: f: cylindraceus (60-600m), F cylindraceus subsp. lecontei (300-1 ,SOOm), F viridescens NEVADA: F cylindraceus subsp. lecontei (300-1 ,500m) NEW MEXICO: F hamatacanthus, F wislizeni TEXAS: F hamatacanthlls, F hamatacanthus subsp. sinuatus, F wislizeni UTAH: F cylindraceliS subsp. lecontei
MEXICO AGUASCALIENTES: F histrix (2, 100m), F latispinus BAJA CALIFORNIA and BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR mainland: F chrysacanthus subsp. grand~fl()rus (1200m), F cylindraceus (300m), F cylindraceus subsp. tortulispinus (600m), F emoryi subsp. rectispinus (1-1 ,600m), F fordii (1-50m), F .f{Jrdii subsp. borealis (I-100m) F gracilis (20300m), F gracilis subsp. coloratlls (IO-IOOm), F peninsulae (I 00-400m), F pen insulae subsp. santamaria (I-10m), F peninslilae subsp. townsendianus (lOO-450m), F viridescens (l0-400m), F viridescens subsp. liuoralis (800-1 ,000m) BAJA CALIFORNIA islands: F chrysacanthus (1-500m), F chrysacanthus subsp. grandij70rus (I-200m), F diguetii (1O-300m), F fordii (I-10m), F gracilis subsp. gatesii (I-150m), F johnstonianus (I-300m), F pen insulae subsp. townsendianus, F wislizeni subsp. tiburonensis (l0-200m) CAMPECHE: none recorded CHIAPAS: none recorded CHIHUAHUA: F alamosanus, F hamatacanthus (I,500m), F pottsii (1,150-1 ,200m), F wislizeni (1,000-1,750m)
15
Roo: none recorded
QUINTANA COAHUILA: F. hamatacanthus (650-1,900m), F. hamatacanthus subsp. sinuatus, F. pilosus (1,250-2, 100m)
F. alamosanus subsp. reppenhagenii (1,200-
COLIMA:
2,000m)
SAN LUIS POTOSI: F. echidne (l,100-1,600m), F. glaucescens (I,600m), F. hamatacanthus (I,550-2,000m), F. hamatacanthus, F. histrix (1 ,550-2,300m), F. latispinus (l,550-2,3OOm), F. macrodiscus subsp. septentrionalis, F. pilosus (l,200-2,100m)
F. hamatacanthus (l,650m), F. histrix, F. latispinus, F. pilosus (1,700m), F pottsii, F. wislizeni subsp. herrerae (to l,4oom)
SINALOA:
F. echidne, F. histrix (2,000-2,300m), F. latispinus (l,800-2,400m), F. macrodiscus subsp. septentrionalis (2,000-2,350m)
SONORA:
DURANGO:
GUANAJUATO:
GUERRERO:
none recorded
F. echidne (l,300-1,700m), F. glaucescens (l,450-2,3OOm), F. histrix (I,5OO-2,000m), F. latispinus (1,500-2,500m)
F. alamosanus, F. emoryi (1-900m), F. pottsii, F. schwarzii (30-300m), F. wislizeni, F. wislizeni subsp. herrerae (30-200m)
F. alamosanus (350-1 ,300m), F. cylindraceus (I-200m), F. cyLindraceus subsp. Lecontei, F. emoryi (5-3OOm), F. pottsii (I,800m), F. wislizeni (40-1 OOm), F. wislizeni subsp. herrerae (1 0-650m)
HIDALGO:
TABASCO:
none recorded
F. echidne (500-2,000m), F. hamatacanthus (1 ,300m), F. hamatacanthus subsp. sinuatus (1,2oo-I,300m), F. pilosus
TAMAULIPAS:
F. histrix (2, 100m), F. latispinus
JALISCO:
F. latispinus
MEXICO: MEXICO
TLAXCALA:
none recorded
VERACRUZ:
F. haematacanthus (2,000m)
DF: F. latispinus (2,300-2,450m)
F. aLamosanus subsp. reppenhagenii (2,OOO-2,300m), F. Latispinus, F. lindsayi (250-300m) MICHOACA.N:
MORELOS: NAYARIT:
F. Latispinus
none recorded
F. echidne, F. hamatacanthus (501,450m), F. hamatacanthus subsp. sinuatus (350384m), F. pilosus (1,300-1,900m) NUEVO LE6N:
OAXACA: F. aLamosanus subsp. reppenhagenii (1,500m), F. Jlavovirens, F. latispinus (I ,800m), F. macrodiscus (l,700-2,500m), F. recurvus (5002,440m), F. recurvus subsp. greenwoodii (1 ,400m), F. robustus PUEBLA: F. Jlavovirens (1,600-1 ,900m), F. haematacanthus (I ,750m), F. hamatacanthus (2,300m), F. Latispinus, F. macrodiscus subsp macrodiscus (?), F. recurvus (l, 100-2,5OOm), F. robustus (l ,500-2, 100m) QUERETARO: F. echidne (700-1,400m), F. gLaucescens (I,000-1,800m), F. histrix (I,200-2,250m), F. latispinus (l ,800-2, 100m), F. macrodiscus subsp. septentrionalis
16
YUCATAN:
none recorded
ZACATECAS: F. hamatacanthus (2,150m), F. histrix (I,950-2,250m), F. Latispinus (2,250-2,300m), F. pilosus (2,400m)
Checklist of species F. alamosanus
pI9
F. hamatacanthus subsp. sinuatus
p63
F. alamosanus subsp. reppenhagenii
p20
F. histrix
p65
F. chrysacanthus
p22
F. johnstonianus
p67
F. chrysacanthus subsp. grandiflorus
p24
F. latispinus
p69
F. cylindraceus
p26
F. lindsayi
p72
F. cylindraceus subsp. eastwoodiae
p30
F. macrodiscus
p75
F. cylindraceus subsp. lecontei
p32
F. macrodiscus subsp. septentrionalis
p77
F. cylindraceus subsp. tortulispinus
p34
F. peninsulae
p78
F. diguetii
p36
F. peninsulae subsp. santa-maria
p8I
F. echidne
p39
F. peninsulae subsp. townsendianus
p82
F. emoryi
p4I
F. pilosus
p84
F. emoryi subsp. rectispinus
p43
F. pottsii
p87
F. flavovirens
p45
F. recurvus
p89
F.fordU
p47
F. recurvus subsp. greenwoodii
p90
F. fordii subsp. borealis
p49
F. robustus
p92
F. glaucescens
p5I
F. schwarzii
p94
F. gracilis
p53
F. viridescens
p96
F. gracilis subsp. coloratus
p55
F. viridescens subsp. littoralis
p98
F. gracilis subsp. gatesii
p57
F. wislizeni
plOO
F. haematacanthus
p59
F. wislizeni subsp. herrerae
p102
F. hamatacanthus
p62
F. wislizeni subsp. tiburonensis
p104
17
Species commentary The descriptions in this chapter take as their starting poim Britton & Rose's major four-volume work, The Cactaceae, published. as far as this genus is concerned in 1922 (volume 3), in which the genus was set up. and 1923 (volume 4) which includes amendments and the description of F. johnstonianus. Before this, descriptions and references (mainly as Echinocactus) were sparse, and these two pioneers of the modem printed word on cacti, gathered together in the 1.000 pages of this incredible production all that had been hitherto published, ably amplified with the benefit of the cactus exploration which had been proceeding apace in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. We have also taken account of Backeberg's monumental 6 volume work (over 4.000 pages) Die CQ£:taceae. as well as Helia Bravo's 3 volume Las Cactaceas de Mexico, now available to students of these and other Mexican plants, and of course Lindsay's recently published (in 1996) doctoral thesis of 1955. Other sources of information include Benson's Cal:ti of the United States and Canada (J 982); the Cactus and Succulent Journal ofAmerica. published since the early 1930s and including many references and detailed accounts of explorations in the
18
field of these plants; Nigel Taylor's papers on this genus published in Bradleya, the yearbook of the British Cactus & Succulent Society. volume I (with lonathan Clark), 1983, volume 2,1984, and volume 5, 1987. We have also referred to the invaluable book by Gottfried Unger on the globular cacti of North America. Die grossen Kugelkakteen Nordamerikas, published in 1992, and embracing Echinocactus as well as Ferocactus; this book of nearly 500 pages includes a fund of detail by way of descriptions and references. as well as a considerable contribution from the author's wide-ranging studies in the field. Lastly we have included Ted Anderson's thoughts on the acceptance of taxa, as included in his major work, The Cactus Family; these are based on the deliberations of the International Cactaceae Systematics Group of the International Organization for Succulent Plant Study (lOS). Also of interest are the two books by Franziska and Richard Wolf, Baja California und seine Inseln (1999) and Die Ferokakteen der Baja California (2004).
Fig. 4: F. emoryi subsp. emoryi staging its stunning flower display during August in me Maricopa Mountains, Arizona. USA
Ferocactus alamosanus This beauliful species (both the type and subsp. reppenhaMenii) grows well in cullivation, and flowers when quite small, at about 15 10 20cm in diameter, but this could take 10 to 15 years from seed 10 achieve as the rale of growth is fairly slow.
F. alomasumls was listed in Taylor's revision of 1984 as a variety of F. pot/sil. following Unger's reduction in 1971. but in the latest listing of the CITES CacUlceat! Checklist (J 999) it is included as a good species. and F. reppenhagenii is listed as a subspecies hereunder. having previously been so reduced by Nigel Taylor in 1998. The more southerly occurring subsp. reppenhagenii bears a marked resemblance (0 F. alamosanus, and its reduction here makes good sense, extending the range of this species considerably.
Ferocactus alamosanus subsp. alamosanus This. the type, is