Polaskia chende

Polaskia chende
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Polaskia
Species:
P. chende
Binomial name
Polaskia chende
(Rol-.Goss.) A.C.Gibson & K.E.Horak
Distribution of Polaskia chende
Synonyms
  • Cereus chende Rol.-Goss.
  • Cereus delmoralii J.A.Purpus
  • Heliabravoa chende (Rol.-Goss.) Bravo & D.K.Cox
  • Lemaireocereus chende Rol.-Goss.) Britton & Rose
  • Myrtillocactus chende (Rol.-Goss.) P.V.Heath

Polaskia chende is a succulent cactus native to a small area of mountains of northern Oaxaca and southern Puebla, Mexico. It grows in xerophytic shrubland between 1,500 and 2,000 m (4,900 and 6,600 ft) above mean sea level.

Description

Polaskia chende forms 3 to 5 m tall (9 ft 10 in – 16 ft 5 in), branching columnar stems, 40 to 80 cm long and 5 to 7 cm wide, and can reach up to 4.5 m in height. It has 7 or 8 ribs, rarely 9, 1.7 to 3 cm high, with areoles 5 mm long, circular to elliptical, spaced 2 cm apart, with the presence of black trichomes. It has 5 or 6 radial spines 2 cm long and 0.8 cm wide, grey, and the central spine may be absent or rudimentary; the fertile zone is not differentiated from the infertile zone. Its flowers are white, reach a length of 5 cm, oblanceolate, with a mucronate apex, green, some with a red to purple middle stripe. The fruit are about 3 cm long and 4 cm wide, purple in color, with short bracts, yellow trichomes, short spines, and juicy purple pulp. Seeds are 1.6 mm long and 1 mm wide. Flowering occurs between August and January, and the plant bears fruit between December and June.

Distribution

It inhabits oak (Quercus) forests, xeric scrublands, tropical deciduous forests, and among riparian vegetation, at elevations from 1,700 to 2,200 m (5,600 to 7,200 ft).

Taxonomy

The plant, initially named Cereus chende, was described by Robert Roland-Gosselin in 1905. The specific epithet chende comes from its Spanish common name. In 1979, Arthur Charles Gibson and Karl E. Horak reclassified the species under the genus Polaskia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Arias, S.; Valverde, T.; Zavala-Hurtado, A. (2017) [amended version of 2013 assessment]. "Polaskia chende". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017 e.T151722A121564109. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T151722A121564109.en. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  2. ↑ "Polaskia chende (Rol-.Goss.) A.C.Gibson & K.E.Horak". Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  3. ↑ "Polaskia Species, Chende, Chinoa, Tunillo (Rol-.Goss.) A.C.Gibson & K.E.Horak". Dave's garden. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  4. ↑ D&Amp, Um National; (France), histoire naturelle (1905). "Bulletin du Muséum d'histoire naturelle". Impr. nationale. ISSN 0027-4070. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  5. ↑ Garden., Missouri Botanical; Botany., Henry Shaw School of (1978). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Vol. v.65 (1978). Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Retrieved 2024-03-31.