''Ferocactus'' is a genus of large barrel-shaped

cacti 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, ...

, mostly with large spines and small

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s. There are about 30 species included in the genus. They are found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

Description

The young specimens are columnar but as they grow older ribs form and they take on a barrel form. Most of the species are solitary but some, such as ''

Ferocactus robustus ''Ferocactus'' is a genus of large barrel-shaped cacti, mostly with large spines and small flowers. There are about 30 species included in the genus. They are found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Description The y ...

'' and '' F. glaucescens'', have clustering habits. The flowers are pink, yellow, red or purple depending on the species, and the petals sometimes have a stripe of a darker colour.

Habitat

They are

desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...

dwellers and can cope with some frost and intense heat. The typical habitat is hot and very arid, and the plants have adapted to exploit water movement to concentrate their biomass in areas where water is likely to be present. Like ''

Sclerocactus ''Sclerocactus'' ("hard cactus", from Greek language, Greek; refers to the hard, dry fruit) is a genus of cactus, cacti. It comprises about 15 species, the exact number depending on the authority. These species are xerophytic. They are sometimes ...

'', ''Ferocactus'' typically grow in areas where water flows irregularly or depressions where water can accumulate for short periods of time. They are most often found growing along

arroyos Arroyo often refers to: * Arroyo (watercourse), an intermittently dry creek Arroyo may also refer to: Places United States * Arroyo, Pennsylvania * Arroyo, Puerto Rico, a municipality * Arroyo, West Virginia Spain * Arroyo (Santillana del Mar), ...

(washes) where their

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s have been subjected to

scarification Scarification involves scratching, etching, burning/ branding, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification or body art. The body modification can take roughly 6–12 months to heal. In t ...

due to water movement, but they oddly also tend to grow along ridges in spots where depressions have formed and can hold water for some period of time.

Adaptations

''Ferocactus'' have very shallow root systems and are easily uprooted during flash floods. The "fishhook" spines and the armored web of spines enclosing the cactus body in many species of this genus are adaptations which allow the plant to move to more favorable locations. The seeds germinate in areas where water movement occurs or in areas where standing water accumulates for some period of time, and during

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice and snow. Flash f ...

s, the hooked spines allow the plants to be caught on waterborne debris, uprooted and carried to areas where water tends to accumulate.

Cultivation

In cultivation ''Ferocactus'' require full sun, little water, and good drainage. They are popular as

houseplants A houseplant, also known as a pot plant, potted plant, or indoor plant, is an ornamental plant cultivated indoors. for aesthetic or practical purposes. These plants are commonly found in House, homes, Office, offices, and various indoor spaces, w ...

. They cannot tolerate freezing temperatures for extended periods, which typically cause them to yellow, bleach, then slowly die.

Propagation Propagation can refer to: *Chain propagation in a chemical reaction mechanism *Crack propagation, the growth of a crack during the fracture of materials *Propaganda, non-objective information used to further an agenda *Reproduction, and other forms ...

is usually from seeds, but clustering species such as ''

'' and '' F. glaucescens'' can be propagated by removing a rooted offset and planting it.

Ecology

Many ferocactus species are

ant plant Myrmecophytes (; literally "ant-plant") are plants that live in a mutualistic association with a colony of ants. There are over 100 different genera of myrmecophytes. These plants possess structural adaptations in the form of domatia where ants ...

s, exuding nectar along the upper meristem from

extrafloral nectaries Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists, ...

above each areole, and hosting ant colonies.

Species

Formerly placed here

* '' Sclerocactus brevihamatus tobuschii'' (W.T.Marshall) N.P.Taylor (as ''F. tobuschii'' (W.T.Marshall) N.P.Taylor) * ''

Sclerocactus glaucus ''Sclerocactus glaucus'' is a rare species of cactus known by the common name Colorado hookless cactus. It is endemic to Colorado in the United States, where it is known only from the area between Grand Junction and Montrose.

'' (K.Schum.) L.D.Benson (as ''F. glaucus'' (K.Schum.) N.P.Taylor) * '' Sclerocactus mesae-verdae'' (Boissev. & C. Davidson) L.D.Benson (as ''F. mesae-verdae'' (Boissev. & C.Davidson) N.P.Taylor) * '' Sclerocactus pubispinus'' (Engelm.) L.D.Benson (as ''F. pubispinus'' (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor)

References

* The species list is referenced in part fro
cactiguide.com
which is in turn referenced from several books which are listed on that site. The principal book listed there is The Cactus Family by Edward F. Anderson, (2001).

External links

* {{Authority control Cactoideae genera