''Matucana'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

cacti A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gree ...

(

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Cactaceae), containing approximately 20

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

of mostly globular plants. The genus is known only from

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, mostly along the

Marañón River , name_etymology = , image = Maranon.jpg , image_size = 270 , image_caption = Valley of the Marañón between Chachapoyas (Leimebamba) and Celendín , map = Maranonrivermap.png , map_size ...

. Some species are endangered due to collection for the specialist market.

Description

Plants within this genus may be identified by the distinctive structure of their fruits, which are marked by vertical splits that release their seeds upon maturity. The overall body shape, spination, offset production, and preferred habitat exhibit considerable variability, mirroring the diverse nature of the flowers within the genus. Species of ''Matucana'' have low, globose or shortly cylindrical bodies, either solitary or clustering. The flowers are subapical, usually more or less

zygomorphic Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts. Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spiral ...

, diurnal, of various colours, but usually red, yellow or pink. However, a few species, notably ''M. oreodoxa'', have

actinomorphic Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts. Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spiral ...

flowers and were placed in a separate genus - ''Eomatucana'' - by F. Ritter. They are reported to flower at a young age.

Taxonomy

The first species was discovered near the town of

Matucana ''Matucana'' is a genus of cacti (family Cactaceae), containing approximately 20 species of mostly globular plants. The genus is only known from Peru, mostly along the Marañón River. The first species was discovered near the town of Matuca ...

and described as ''Echinocactus haynii'' by

Christoph Friedrich Otto Christoph Friedrich Otto (4 December 1783 – 7 December 1856) was a German gardener and botanist. He was born in Schneeberg, Saxony. From 1805 to 1843 he was inspector of the Botanical Garden in Berlin. Together with Albert Gottfried Dietric ...

in 1849. The genus ''Matucana'' was erected by

Nathaniel Lord Britton Nathaniel Lord Britton (January 15, 1859 – June 25, 1934) was an American botanist and taxonomist who co-founded the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York. Early life Britton was born in New Dorp in Staten Island, New York to Jasper ...

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 ...

in 1922 to differentiate it from the diverse ''

Echinocactus ''Echinocactus'' is a genus of cacti in the subfamily Cactoideae. The generic name derives from the Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 B ...

'' genus.

Species

, the following species were accepted:

Cultivation

All members of the genus cannot tolerate too much moisture so that it is recommended that they be watered only during their growing season and when the

substrate Substrate may refer to: Physical layers *Substrate (biology), the natural environment in which an organism lives, or the surface or medium on which an organism grows or is attached ** Substrate (locomotion), the surface over which an organism lo ...

is dry. They risk losing their roots if they are not kept warm through the winter. Members of ''Matucana'' grow quickly and may be grown from seed.

References

* Bregman, Rob: ''The Genus Matucana. Biology and systematics of fascinating Peruvian cacti''. A.A.Balkema 1996. * Ritter, Friedrich: ''Kakteen in Südamerika'', Band 4, s. 1486–87. Friedrich Ritter Selbstverlag 1981. {{Authority control * Cacti of South America Endemic flora of Peru Cactoideae genera