Though they are diverse, and widespread globally, the majority of Euphorbia succulents are found in Africa, the Middle East, and India. Cacti, including Astrophytum, are predominately found on the American continents, with a great variety in South America and Mexico. But not every succulent is going to be a cactus.Īnother key difference between cacti and Euphorbiaceae is origin and wild distribution. The plant also bears a superficially close resemblance to the unrelated Euphorbia obesa, which actually is not a cactus simply put, all cactus are a succulent, and by their very nature they, themselves, are succulent (I.e., storing water for future droughts). asterias are medium to large size bees with one species, Diadasia rinconis being the most effective. Flowers are produced from March to June (the summer season in its native habitat) and fruiting occurs from April to June. Reproduction takes place via sexual outcrossing through cross-pollination star cacti reach sexual maturity after a few years, when they have attained 2–3 centimetres (0.79–1.18 in) in diameter. Green to pink oval fruits are produced the outside coat is covered with woolly hairs. The flowers of this cactus are yellow with red bases and the outer parts are very woolly. The body is a greenish-brown colour and may appear speckled from its covering of white scales ( trichomes). The disc-shaped body is divided into 7–10 sections, known as ribs in the middle of each rib there are woolly areoles. asterias (also known as the Star Cactus) is small, round, spineless and squat, reaching a height of 2.5–6 cm (0.98–2.36 in) and a diameter of 5–15 cm (2.0–5.9 in). Common names include sand dollar cactus, sea urchin cactus, star cactus and star peyote.ĭescription Astrophytum asterias in flower Astrophytum asterias nudum Astrophytum asterias 'Super Kabuto'Ī. And in that sense, it is fits in quite well with the other Astrophytum species.Īstrophytum is a Chihuahuan desert native occurring in north/central Mexico and southern Texas, USA.Ĭlick on one of the species below for more info.Astrophytum asterias is a species of cactus in the genus Astrophytum, and is native to small parts of Texas in the United States and Mexico. With the uniqueness of caput-madusae coupled with it's late discovery, it is currently one of the most sought after cactus species by collectors world-wide. The four original Astrophytum members have been extremely popular in cultivation and numerous exotic hybrids have been created that accentuate various features such as amount of flocking, number of ribs, lack of spines, etc. Some have a red-centered flower, all are radially symmetric and eventually turn into dry, fuzzy seed pods bearing relatiely large, black seeds that are among the easiest to germinate. Plants in this genus also all have yellow flowers with fuzzy floral tubes. Although in cultivation some forms are bred for their lack of flocking. The name Digitostigma describes the long digit-like tubercles that grow something like an octopus.ĭespite the noticeable differences, all 5 species including caput-madusae feature a sort of flocking of white trichomes (or bumps) on the epidermis. Hence, many enthusiasts feel it should be part of its own genus and cosider it to be the sole species in the genus Digitostigma. caput-madusae is quite distinct from the other members of the genus and actually very distinct from all other cacti genera as well. The fifth member of this group was newly discovered in 2001. asterias for its striking similarity to sea urchins. Astrophytum species have been frequently compared to marine life, in particular A. Hence the name Astrophytum, which means star plant. While each species is quite distinct, one from another these four feature a star-shaped appearance when viewed from above. Two of these are spineless and two have prominent spines. The first four were discovered between the years 18. The Astrophytum genus is comprised of 4 species of globose to short cylindrical cacti and one sprawling, octopus-like member. Custom Nomenclature - System Default About This | LoginĮtymology -The generic name "Astrophytum" derives from the Greek words astron, meaning a "star" and phyton, meaning "plant".
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