Echinocactus platyacanthus

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Ordo: Caryophyllales

Familia: Cactaceae
Subfamilia: Cactoideae
Tribus: Cacteae
Genus: Echinocactus
Species: Echinocactus platyacanthus
Name

Echinocactus platyacanthus Link & Otto, Verh. Vereins. Beförd. Gartenbaues Königl. Preuss. Staaten 3: 423 (1827).
Synonyms

Heterotypic
Copiapoa macracantha (Salm-Dyck) Meregalli, Piante Grasse 11(4): 38 (1991) publ (1992).
Echinocactus arachnoideus Scheidw., Bull. Acad. Roy. Sci. Bruxelles 6: 90 (1839).
Echinocactus aulacogonus Lem., Cact. Gen. Sp. Nov. 14 (1839).
Echinocactus aulacogonus var. diacopaulax Lem., Cact. Gen. Sp. Nov. 15 (1839).
Echinocactus edulis Haage ex C.F.Först., Handb. Cakteenk. 346 (1846).
Echinocactus ghiesbreghtianus Lem., Hort. Universel 1: 227 (1839).
Echinocactus grandis Rose, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 10: 126 (1906).
Echinocactus grandis Rose f. polycormus Říha & Tabasco, Kaktusy (Brno) 33: 81 (1997).
Echinocactus grandis subsp. polycormus Říha & Tabasco, Kaktusy (Brno) 33: 81 (1997).
Echinocactus helophorus Lem., Cact. Gen. Sp. Nov. 12.
Echinocactus helophorus var. laevior Lem., Cact. Gen. Sp. Nov. 13 (1839).
Echinocactus helophorus var. longifossulatus Lem., Cact. Gen. Sp. Nov. 13 (1839).
Echinocactus ingens Zucc. ex Pfeiff., Enum. Diagn. Cact. 54 (1837).
Echinocactus ingens f. aulocogonus (Lem.) Schelle, Kakteen 189 (1926).
Echinocactus ingens f. helophorus (Lem.) Schelle, Handb. Kakteenkult. 149 (1907).
Echinocactus ingens f. viznaga (Hook.) Voss, Vilm. Blumengärtn., ed. 3, 1: 372 (1894) as Visnaga.
Echinocactus ingens var. grandis Speg., Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 17: 116 (1907).
Echinocactus ingens var. helophorus (Lem.) K.Schum., Gesamtbeschr. Kakt. 317 (1898).
Echinocactus ingens var. saltillensis (Poselg.) K.Schum., Gesamtbeschr. Kakt. 317 (1898).
Echinocactus ingens var. subinermis K.Schum., Gesamtbeschr. Kakt. 317 (1898).
Echinocactus ingens var. viznaga (Hook.) K.Schum., Gesamtbeschr. Kakt. 317 (1898) as Visnaga.
Echinocactus irroratus Scheidw., Bull. Acad. Roy. Sci. Bruxelles 6: 90 (1839).
Echinocactus karwinskii Zucc. ex Pfeiff., Enum. Diagn. Cact. 50 (1837).
Echinocactus karwinskii Zucc. ex Labour., Monogr. Cact. 193 (1853).
Echinocactus macracanthus de Vriese, Tijdschr. Natuurl. Gesch. Physiol. 6: 49 (1839).
Echinocactus minax Lem., Cact. Aliq. Nov. 18 (1838).
Echinocactus minax var. laevior Lem., Cact. Gen. Sp. Nov. 86 (1839).
Echinocactus palmeri Rose, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 290, tab. 23 (1909).
Echinocactus platyacanthus f. grandis (Rose) Bravo, Cact. Suc. Mex. 25(3): 64 (1980).
Echinocactus platyacanthus f. visnaga (Hook.) Bravo, Cact. Suc. Mex. 25(3): 65 (1980).
Echinocactus platyacanthus var. palmeri (Rose) H.P.Kelsey & Dayton, Standard. Pl. Names, ed. 2. 70 (1942).
Echinocactus platyacanthus var. viznaga (Hook.) W.T.Marshall
Echinocactus platyceras Lem., Cact. Aliq. Nov. 19 (1838).
Echinocactus platyceras var. laevior C.F.Först., Handb. Cacteenk. 325 (1846).
Echinocactus platyceras var. minax Salm-Dyck ex C.F.Först, Handb. Cacteenk. 324 (1846).
Echinocactus saltillensis Poselg. in Otto & A.Dietr., Allg. Gartenzeitung 21: 101 (1853).
Echinocactus tuberculatus Link & Otto, Verh. Vereins Beförd. Gartenbaues Königl. Preuss. Staaten 3: 425 (1827).
Echinocactus tuberculatus var. spiralis DC., Mém. Mus. Hist. Nat. 17: 115 (1828).
Echinocactus viznaga Hook., Gard. Chron (1845): 133 (1845).
Echinofossulocactus helophorus (Lem.) Lawr., Gard. Mag. (London) 17: 318 (1841).
Echinofossulocactus helophorus var. longifossulatus Lawr., Gard. Mag. & Reg. Rural Domest. Improv. 17: 318 (1841).
Echinofossulocactus karwinskianus Lawr., Gard. Mag. (London) 17: 318 (1841).
Echinofossulocactus macracanthus (Salm-Dyck) Lawr., Gard. Mag. (London) 17: 317 (1841).
Echinofossulocactus platyceras (Lem.) Lawr., Gard. Mag. (London) 17: 318 (1841).
Melocactus ingens Karw. ex Pfeiff., Enum. Diagn. Cact. 54 (1837).
Melocactus platyacanthus Link & Otto, Verh. Preuss. Ver. Gartenb. 3: t. 14 (1827).
Melocactus tuberculatus Link & Otto, Verh. Vereins Beford. Gartenbaues Konigl. Preuss. Staaten 3: t. 26 (1827).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Northern America
Regional: Mexico
Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Southwest

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition

References
Primary references

Link, J.H.F. & Otto, C.F. (1827) Verhandlungen des Vereins zur Beförderung des Gartenbaues in den Königlich Preussischen Staaten 3: 423.

Additional references

Villaseñor, J.L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 87: 559–902. DOI: 10.1016/j.rmb.2016.06.017 Online PDF Reference page.
Govaerts, R.H.A. 2001. World Checklist of Seed Plants Database in ACCESS E-F: 1-50919. [unavailable to the public] Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Echinocactus platyacanthus in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Mar 13. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2021. Echinocactus platyacanthus. Published online. Accessed: Mar 13 2021.
Tropicos.org 2021. Echinocactus platyacanthus. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 13 Mar 2021.
Hassler, M. 2021. Echinocactus platyacanthus. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2021. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Mar 13. Reference page.
LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms 2013-2015. Echinocactus platyacanthus in LLIFLE. Published on internet. Accessed: 2015 Apr 09.

Vernacular names
español: Biznaga de Dulce, Biznaga Gigante
lietuvių: Plačiadyglis ežiakaktusis
svenska: Igelkottskaktus

Echinocactus platyacanthus, also known as the giant barrel cactus, golden barrel cactus, giant viznaga, or biznaga de dulce,[2] is a species of cactus (family Cactaceae). It is native to central Mexico in the Chihuahuan Desert.[1] This species is the largest of the barrel cacti. In Mexico the hairs are often used for weaving; a traditional candy is produced by boiling the pith.
Description

This slow-growing species can reach sizes up to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) tall and 1.5 m (4.9 ft) wide and can live over a hundred years. Photographs exist of specimens almost four feet (almost 1.2 m) in thickness.[3] What is probably the largest individual living today is the one called "Goliat" at the "Area natural de Daxpe" in the municipio de Cadereyta, Querétaro State, Mexico, which is 9' 8" (2.95 meters) in height, at least three feet (0.9 meter) thick and weighs about three metric tons (6,600 pounds).[4] Another at Ixmiquilpan, Mexico has a measured diameter of 3 ft 11 in (120 cm) and is 7 ft 10 in (2.4 meters) high.[5] Their stems are a gray-ish blue color and the straight, rigid spines are black. The apex of the cactus is flat and covered with a yellow felt-like substance. They are heavily ribbed and have large areoles. Their diurnal, tubular flowers bloom at the end of spring to summer and are a vivid yellow color; they grow to about 2 cm (0.79 in) in height and 3 cm (1.2 in) in width.[6] The fruit is about 3 cm (1.2 in) long and is covered by a hairy wool.[7]

References

Hernández, H.M.; Cházaro, M.; Gómez-Hinostrosa, C. (2017). "Echinocactus platyacanthus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T152537A121477917. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T152537A121477917.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
"Giant Barrel Cactus, Biznaga Gigante Echinocactus platyacanthus". Dave's Garden. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
"Photographic image" (JPG). S3.amazonaws.com. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
"Photographic image" (JPG). Pbs.twimg.com. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
Coulter, John M. (April 1, 1896). "Preliminary Revision of the No. American Species of Echinocactus, Cereus and Opuntia". Cotrib. to the United States Nat'l Herbarium. 3 (7): 83 plus photo plate XVIII B.
"Echinocactus platyacanthus". CACTUS ART NURSERY. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
"Echinocactus ingens". Cactus Art. Retrieved 7 December 2013.