Astrophytum asterias

(Zuccarini) Lemaire

Cactées, 50. 1868.

Common names: Star-peyote star cactus se a-urchin cactus
IllustratedConservation concern
Basionym: Echinocactus asterias Zuccarini Abh. Math.–Phys. Cl. Königl. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. 4(2): 13. 1845
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 192.

Plants flat-topped and usually flush with soil surface, or at most, above-ground portion low, dome-shaped. Stems shiny, sparsely speckled by bright white extra-areolar hair tufts 0.5–1 mm diam.; ribs usually 8, straight, very low, nearly flat or rounded; areoles 3–5 mm diam., with yellow or gray wool. Flowers opening widely, externally long woolly; inner tepals lanceolate, acuminate. 2n = 22.


Phenology: Flowering Mar–May and sporadically after summer rainfall.
Habitat: Grasslands, shrublands, Tamaulipan thorn scrub, gravelly slopes and deep soil of flats
Elevation: 20-100 m

Distribution

V4 360-distribution-map.gif

Tex., Mexico (Nuevo León, Tamaulipas).

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

The vernacular name of Astrophytum asterias, star-peyote, reflects its superficial similarity to peyote, Lophophora williamsii, which has very soft, uniformly pale blue-green stems quite unlike the hard, speckled, almost shiny, green stem surface in A. asterias. Astrophytum asterias is extremely rare and localized north of Mexico, presently known only from Starr County, Texas.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Astrophytum asterias"
Allan D. Zimmerman +  and Bruce D. Parfitt +
(Zuccarini) Lemaire +
Echinocactus asterias +
Star-peyote +, star cactus +  and se a-urchin cactus +
Tex. +, Mexico (Nuevo León +  and Tamaulipas). +
20-100 m +
Grasslands, shrublands, Tamaulipan thorn scrub, gravelly slopes and deep soil of flats +
Flowering Mar–May and sporadically after summer rainfall. +
Illustrated +  and Conservation concern +
Astrophytum asterias +
Astrophytum +
species +