Ferocactus

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: Ferocactus
Sectiones: F. sect. Bisnaga – F. sect. Ferocactus

Species: F. alamosanus – F. chrysacanthus – F. cylindraceus – F. diguetii – F. echidne – F. emoryi – F. flavovirens – F. fordii – F. glaucescens – F. gracilis – F. haematacanthus – F. hamatacanthus – F. herrerae – F. histrix – F. johnstonianus – F. latispinus – F. lindsayi – F. macrodiscus – F. mathssonii – F. peninsulae – F. pilosus – F. pottsii – F. robustus – F. santa-maria – F. schwarzii – F. tiburonensis – F. townsendianus – F. uncinatus – F. viridescens – F. wislizeni
Source(s) of checklist:

Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Ferocactus in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 Mar 14. Reference page.

Name

Ferocactus Britton & Rose, Cactaceae 3: 123. 1922.
Type species: Ferocactus wislizeni (Engelm.) Britton & Rose

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Bisnaga Orcutt, Cactography 1: 1. 1926.
Type species: Bisnaga cornigera (DC.) Orcutt
Parrycactus Doweld, Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 32: 117. 2000.
Type species: Parrycactus glaucescens (DC.) Doweld
Brittonia C.A.Armstr.

References

Britton, N.L. & Rose, J.N. 1922. The Cactaceae. Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family. Vol. 3. 255 pp. + 23 pl. Carnegie Institution of Washington. BHL PDF Reference page. : 3: 123.

Additional references

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. Ferocactus in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 Mar 14. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2021. Ferocactus. Published online. Accessed: Mar 14 2021.
Tropicos.org 2021. Ferocactus. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 Mar 14.
Hassler, M. 2021. Ferocactus. 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 on the internet. Accessed: 2021 Mar 14. Reference page.

Vernacular names
español: Cactus de Barril
suomi: Rautakaktukset
magyar: Hordókaktusz
polski: Ferokaktus
svenska: Djävulstungesläktet

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 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 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 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, 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 (washes) where their seeds have been subjected to scarification 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 floods, 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. They cannot tolerate freezing temperatures for extended periods, which typically cause them to yellow, bleach, then slowly die. Propagation is usually from seeds, but clustering species such as Ferocactus robustus and F. glaucescens can be propagated by removing a rooted offset and planting it.
Ecology

Many ferocactus species are ant plants, exuding nectar along the upper meristem from extrafloral nectaries above each areole, and hosting ant colonies.
Selected species

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Ferocactus alamosanus		Mexican state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico
	Ferocactus chrysacanthus		Mexico.
	Ferocactus cylindraceus (Engelm.) Orcutt	California Barrel Cactus, Biznaga-barril cilíndrica	eastern Mojave Desert and western Sonoran Desert Ecoregions in: Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah in the Southwestern United States; and Baja California, and Sonora state in Northwestern Mexico.
	Ferocactus diguetii		Mexico.
	Ferocactus echidne	Sonora Barrel Cactus, Coville's Barrel Cactus, Emory's Barrel Cactus, Traveler's Friend	Mexico
	Ferocactus emoryi (Engelm.) Orcutt	Emory's Barrel Cactus, Biznaga-barril de Emory	Mexico (Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California Sur) and in the United States (Arizona).
	Ferocactus flavovirens		Mexico.
	Ferocactus fordii		Baja California in Mexico.
	Ferocactus glaucescens		Hidalgo, Mexico.
	Ferocactus gracilis H.E.Gates	Fire Barrel Cactus	Mexico.
	Ferocactus haematacanthus (Salm-Dyck) Bravo ex Backeb. & F.M.Knuth[2]		Mexico.
	Ferocactus hamatacanthus (Muehlenpf.) Britton & Rose	Turk's-Head Barrel Cactus, Biznaga-barril Costillona	Chihuahuan Desert of north-western Mexico, New Mexico, and south-western Texas.
	Ferocactus herrerae	Twisted Barrel Cactus	Mexico (Sinaloa, Sonora)
	Ferocactus histrix (DC.) G.E.Linds.	Electrode Cactus	Mexico.
	Ferocactus horridus		Mexico (Southern Baja California)
	Ferocactus johnstonianus Britton & Rose	Johnston's Barrel Cactus	Angel de la Guardia Island, Baja California, Mexico.
	Ferocactus latispinus (Haw.) Britton & Rose		southeastern Durango, through Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, east to the western parts of San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo and Puebla, as well as to eastern Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro and Mexico State.
	Ferocactus macrodiscus		Mexico.
	Ferocactus peninsulae (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose		Mexican state of Baja California Sur.
	Ferocactus pilosus	Mexican Lime Cactus, Viznaga de Lima	Méxican states of Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas
	Ferocactus pottsii		Mexico.
	Ferocactus robustus		Puebla and Veracruz in Mexico.
	Ferocactus santa-maria	Santa-Maria Barrel Cactus	Mexico.
	Ferocactus schwarzii	Schwarz's Barrel Cactus	Mexico.
	Ferocactus townsendianus	Townsend Barrel Cactus	Mexico.
	Ferocactus viridescens (Torr. & A.Gray) Britton & Rose	San Diego Barrel Cactus, Biznaga-barril Verdosa	northern Baja California, Mexico and California
	Ferocactus wislizeni (Engelm.) Britton & Rose	Fishhook Barrel Cactus, Candy Barrel Cactus, Biznaga-barril de Nuevo México[2][3]	southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

Formerly placed here

Sclerocactus brevihamatus tobuschii (W.T.Marshall) N.P.Taylor (as F. tobuschii (W.T.Marshall) N.P.Taylor)
Sclerocactus glaucus (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)[2]

References

"Genus: Ferocactus Britton & Rose". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2004-02-13. Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2010-11-14.
"GRIN Species Records of Ferocactus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2012-07-30. Retrieved 2010-11-14.

"Ferocactus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2010-11-14.

The species list is referenced in part from 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).