''Borzicactus sepium'' is a species of ''
Borzicactus
''Borzicactus'' is a genus of Cactus, cacti native species, native to Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Etymology
This species is named after Antonio Borzi, Curator of the Botanical Gardens in Palermo, Italy at 20th century.
Species
, Plants of the W ...
'' found in
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
.
Description
''Borzicactus sepium'' grows as a shrub with mostly little or no branches from the base, lying to ascending, light to dark green shoots and reaches heights of 0.5 to 2 meters with diameters of 3 to 10 centimeters. There are 6 to 18 low, blunt, grooved ribs. The white or light brown areoles are far apart. The bristly to needle-like thorns are brown, yellowish or blackish and turn gray with age. The 1 to 3 strong central spines are up to 4 centimeters long, the 8 to 10 marginal spines are up to 1 centimeter long.
The slightly zygomorphic, bright red flowers are up to 7.5 centimeters long and have a diameter of 3 centimeters. Their flower bracts are spread out. The spherical, brownish green to yellowish green fruits reach a diameter of up to 5 centimeters.
Subspecies
Accepted supbspecies:
*''Borzicactus sepium'' subsp. ''morleyanus''
(Britton & Rose) Lodé
*''Borzicactus sepium'' subsp. ''sepium''
*''Borzicactus sepium'' subsp. ''ventimigliae''
(Riccob.) Lodé
*''Borzicactus sepium'' subsp. ''websterianus''
(Backeb.) Lodé
Distribution
''Borzicactus sepium'' is widespread in northern and central Ecuador at altitudes of 1500 to 3500 meters.
Taxonomy
The first description as Cactus sepium was in 1823 by Karl Sigismund Kunth.
The specific epithet sepium comes from Latin and means 'fence'.
Nathaniel Lord Britton
Nathaniel Lord Britton (1859 – 1934) was an American botanist and taxonomist who co-founded the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York (state), New York.
Early life
Britton was born on the 15 of January 1859 at New Dorp, Staten Island ...
and
Joseph Nelson Rose
Joseph Nelson Rose (January 11, 1862 – May 4, 1928) was an American botanist. He was born in Union County, Indiana. His father died serving during the Civil War when Joseph Rose was a young boy. He later graduated from high school in Liberty, ...
placed the species in the genus ''Borzicactus'' in 1920.
Further
nomenclature synonyms are ''Cereus sepium'' (Kunth) DC. (1828) and ''Cleistocactus sepium'' (Kunth) F.A.C.Weber (1904).
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from1=Q41793352, from2=Q1099781
sepium
Flora of Ecuador