''Escontria'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

cactus 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, ...

. The only

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

is ''Escontria chiotilla'', the chiotilla or jiotilla.

Description

The tree-like ''Escontria chiotilla'' is heavily branched with flat tops, forms clear trunks and reaches a height of 4 to 7 meters. The light green, cylindrical shoots have a diameter of . It has 7 or 8 acute ribs, are densely covered with dark gray, elongated

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 that sometimes flow into one another. The central spine, which is usually one red-orange to yellow, later turns gray and is up to long. The 10 to 20 marginal spines, sometimes arranged somewhat comb-shaped, are yellowish-brown, later become grayish-white and are up to long. The yellow, tubular to somewhat bell-shaped flowers, which open during the day, appear below the shoot tip. It bears dark red fruit comparable in appearance and texture to

Pitaya Pitaya () or pitahaya () (common names strawberry pear or dragon fruit) is the fruit of several cactus species indigenous to the region of southern Mexico and along the Pacific coasts of Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. Pitaya is cult ...

, but smaller (3,5 cm). The spherical, fleshy, scaled fruits are purple-brown and have a diameter of or more.

Distribution

The species originates from

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

(

Guerrero Guerrero, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guerrero, is one of the 32 states that compose the administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guerrero, 85 municipalities. The stat ...

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, is one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, compose the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The stat ...

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

, southern

Puebla Puebla, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Puebla, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its capital is Puebla City. Part of east-centr ...

Taxonomy

The first plants were discovered in 1864 by

Frédéric Albert Constantin Weber Frédéric Albert Constantin Weber (17 May 1830 in Wolfisheim – 27 July 1903 in Paris) was a French botanist, who specialized in Cactaceae. In 1852 he received his medical doctorate from the University of Strasbourg with the thesis ''De l'hémo ...

, who sent material to

George Engelmann George Engelmann, also known as Georg Engelmann, (2 February 1809 – 4 February 1884) was a German-American botanist. He was instrumental in describing the flora (plants), flora of the west of North America, then very poorly known to Europeans; ...

. However, the first description as ''Cereus chiotilla'' was not made until 1897 by

Karl Moritz Schumann Karl Moritz Schumann (17 June 1851 – 22 March 1904) was a German botanist. Schumann was born in Görlitz. He was curator of the Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum, Botanisches Museum in Berlin-Dahlem from 1880 until 1894. ...

. The botanical name of the genus honors the Mexican engineer and temporary governor of

San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí, is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 59 municipalities and is named after its capital city, San Luis Potosí. It ...

Blas Escontria and Bustamante (1848–1906). The specific epithet chiotilla derives from the local name “Chiotilla” for the edible fruits of the plant. Spanish common names are “Chiotilla” and “Jiotilla”. In 1906,

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 it in the genus ''Escontria'', which he had established. Another nomenclature synonym is ''Myrtillocactus chiotilla'' (F.A.C.Weber ex K.Schum.) P.V.Heath (1992).

References

*
Escontria On-line Guide to the positive identification of Members of the Cactus Family: Escontria

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q8177730, from2=Q135059 Echinocereeae Cacti of Mexico Endemic flora of Mexico Flora of Guerrero Flora of Michoacán Flora of Oaxaca Flora of Puebla Cactoideae genera Monotypic Cactaceae genera