''Matucana aurantiaca'' (common name, orange matucana
) is a
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), ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
in the cactus
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Cactaceae. It grows in the
Cajamarca
Cajamarca (), also known by the Quechua name, ''Kashamarka'', is the capital and largest city of the Cajamarca Region as well as an important cultural and commercial center in the northern Andes. It is located in the northern highlands of Per ...
and
La Libertad regions of Peru. It is considered to have a stable population and a wide range with no threats.
Description
''Matucana aurantiaca'' grows in clusters of ribbed or solitary and rarely branches from the base, spiny spheres or cylinders reaching about (rarely up to ) in height with a diameter of . The spherical to broadly cylindrical, green to dark green shoots reach heights of growth of up to There are 13 to 19 broad ribs made up of hexagonal protuberances. The distinct, straight, yellowish brown spines turn gray with age. The approximately nine central spines are long. The twelve to 20 radial spines have a length of . It bears orange funnel-shaped flowers in summer.
[ The Latin ]specific epithet
In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...
''aurantiaca'' means "orange".
Subspecies
Distribution
''Matucana aurantiaca'' is distributed in the Peruvian regions of Ancash, La Libertad, Cajamarca and possibly Piura at altitudes of 2000 to 3700 meters.
Taxonomy
The plant was first described as ''Echinocactus aurantiacus'' was in 1913 by Friedrich Karl Johann Vaupel
Friedrich Karl Johann Vaupel ( 23 May 1876, Kreuznach – 4 May 1927, Berlin) was a German botanist who specialized in the study of cacti. He was the binomial authority of many species within the family Cactaceae.
He studied medicine and natural s ...
.
Cultivation
In temperate
In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...
areas this plant requires some protection from rain and frost, so is best grown under glass in an unheated greenhouse which receives plenty of sun. It is kept dry through the winter, but watered and fed during the growing season, from spring to autumn. In cultivation in the United Kingdom it has been given the Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...
's Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
It includes the full range of cultivated p ...
.
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q1910743
aurantiaca
Cacti of South America
Endemic flora of Peru
Least concern biota of South America