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Coryphantha poselgeriana var. valida
This plant has a characteristic silver
epidermis, robust stem, and beautiful flowers.
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Description:
Coriphantha poselgeriana is a heavily spined, imposing species,
and reminds one of an Echinocactus. The nomenclature of this variable
taxon is quite confusing.
Stem: Globular to short cylindrical, solitary or slowly clumping,
reaching up to 30 cm in height and 18 cm in width. Dull bluish green,
apex rounded and woolly.
Roots: Thin taproot.
Tubercles: Up to 2(-3) cm long and 5 cm wide, convex, conical, 4-6
edged with a deep wooly groove, near the areole, rounded near the end.
Parastichy number 8-13. With yellow-orange glands over the whole length.
Axil woolly with glands.
Areoles: About 7 mm wide, round with short wool.
Radial spines: 5 to 12, with 7-8 of them radiating sideways and
downwards, straight or recurved, strong, subulate, the 3-4 lower ones
are somewhat fattened, up to 30-40 mm long.
Whitish, later reddish
or
blackish, with
a
darker tip and ultimately greysh.
Central spines: 1, straight, porrect, with light tip.
Similar in shape and colour to lower radials.
Flowers: 6-7 cm, varying from whitish-rose with a pink centre,
to carmine red, and in San Luis Potosí even yellow-flowering forms
occur.
Fruits: Green, juicy, with persisting flower remnants. 25-50mm
long, 7-18 in diameter.
Seeds: Reniform 2-2,5 mm long, 1,5 mm wide.
Remarks: These
clinal species have two forms, often referred
to as distinct varieties or
subspecies. The forms
from North of the Sierra de Paila are more strongly
spined (var. valida) than the ones to the
South, which have
more radials (var. saltillensis). But the transition is
continuous, and separation of a subspecies is questionable.
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Family:
Cactaceae (Cactus
Family)
Scientific name:
Coryphantha poselgeriana (Dietrich 1851) Britton & Rose
Published in: Cactaceae 4:28, 1923
Origin: It grows in the Mexican states of Coahuila, San Luis
Potosí, Nuevo León, Zacatecas and Durango.
Habitat: Widespread in alluvial plains with bare,
sandy
or gravely soils, often on gypsum.
Synonyms:
-
Echinocactus
poselgerianus
A.Dietrich (Basionym)
Allg. Gartenz. 19:346, 1851
-
Coryphantha poselgeriana var valida
(Purpus) Heinrich ex Backeberg 1961
-
Mammillaria valida
J.A.Purpus (Nom inval.) 1911
-
Mammillaria valida
Weber 1898
-
Mammillaria scheeri var. valida (Engelmann) Benson1969
Coryphantha robustispina ssp. scherii (Lemaire)Taylor
-
Coryphantha valida
(J.A.Purpus)
Bremer 1977
-
Coryphantha kieferiana Hort. Ex Böedeker 1928
-
Coryphantha kieferiana
Berger
1929
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Echinocactus salinensis Poselger 1853
-
Mammillaria difficilis
Quehl 1908
-
Mammillaria
salm-dyckiana
Scheer 1850 nom. rejic.
-
Echinocactus
salm-dickianus
Poselger 1853 nom. rejic.
-
Cactus salm-dyckianus
Kuntze
1891 nom. rejic.
-
Coriphantha salm-dyckiana (Scheer) Britton & Rose 1923
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Echinocactus saltiensis
Pöselger
1853
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Mammillaria saltillensis Böedeker 1928
-
Coryphantha poselgeriana var. saltillensis (Böedeker)
Bremer 1977
Corypahantha poselgeriana valida VZD64 Laguna Viesca , Coahuila
Cultivation: This plant grows in the same habitat as
Echinocactus horizonthalonius, with which it has some
cultivation problems in common: slow-growing, seldom reaching the same
size as in nature, sensitive against over-watering.
Water sparingly.
It
needs good drainage. Keep drier in winter. Full sun to partial shade.
Full sun to
partial shade. I
n
humid
conditions, the
exudation of
nectar (if not completely removed by ants) can cause the formation
of
mould,
which leads to ugly black-colouring of the
epidermis. To prevent this, spray the plant with water to remove the
nectar. And provide very good
ventilation.Propagation: Seeds.
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Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of
plants belonging to the
Coryphantha poselgeriana
complex
(This
Taxon
has lots of synonyms and comprises many forms, but where each form
is linked to others by populations of plants with intermediate
characteristics):
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