''Arrojadoa bahiensis'' is a species of
plant
Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...
in the family
Cactaceae
A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...
. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
. Its natural
habitat
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
is rocky areas.
Description
''Arrojadoa bahiensis'' is a solitary cactus characterized by its green to gray-green shoots, which are spherical to cylindrical in shape. These shoots can grow up to 1.1 meters tall and have a diameter of 8 centimeters. They feature 9 to 14 rounded vertical ribs. Initially, the round areoles are covered with cream-colored wool, but they eventually become bare. The spines are finely needle-shaped and somewhat flexible, varying in color from yellowish to reddish, eventually turning gray. Each shoot has a central spine that can be up to 3 centimeters long, along with 6 to 11 radial spines that can reach up to 1.6 centimeters long, with older
areole
In botany, areoles are small light- to dark-colored bumps on cactus, cacti out of which grow clusters of Thorns, spines, and prickles, spines. Areoles are important diagnostic features of cactus, cacti, and identify them as a family distinct fr ...
s containing as many as 23 spines that are either erect or spreading.
The cactus produces tubular pink flowers that appear near the top and along the upper sections of the shoots. These flowers measure between 3.2 and 3.9 centimeters in length and have a diameter of 8 to 10 millimeters, with white inner bracts. The fruits are round to egg-shaped, pink in color, and have a diameter ranging from 1 to 3 centimeters.
Subspecies
Accepted subspecies:
Distribution
''Arrojadoa bahiensis'' is found in the
Chapada Diamantina
Chapada Diamantina (; Portuguese language, Portuguese for the "Diamond Plateau") is a region of Bahia state, in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast of Brazil. This mountain range is known as “Serra do Espinhaço,” in Minas Gerais state, ...
region of
Bahia, Brazil
Bahia () is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest by area. Bahia's capita ...
, at altitudes between 1,000 and 1,950 meters growing in quartzitic and sandstone soil.
Taxonomy
The species was first discovered in 1981. It was initially described as ''Floribunda bahiensis'' in 1993 by Pierre Josef Braun and Eddie Esteves Pereira.
The specific name "bahiensis" reflects its native range in Bahia. In 1994, Nigel Paul Taylor and Urs Eggli reclassified it into the genus ''Arrojadoa''.
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q13217415
Cereeae
Cacti of South America
Endemic flora of Brazil
Flora of Bahia
Vulnerable flora of South America
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot