Echinocactus platyacanthus It is a species of cactus belonging to the Cactaceae family and is endemic to Mexico. It is also known as sweet or barrel biznaga, and Metztitlán canyon. It is one of the most abundant cacti, they are representative and are present in much of the Mexican territory.
The Echinocactus platyacanthus It is a globular cactus that can have a height of 2 m and a diameter of 1.2 m. It is an endemic species of Mexico and is found between 1100 and 2400 meters above sea level.
This cactus is distributed discontinuously, but its populations are not very isolated. It is located in the Chihuahuan desert of Coahuila, Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Nuevo León, San Luis, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas, Potosí, and Querétaro; Furthermore, this species of cactus is very common in the Tehuacán Valley, Puebla and Oaxaca..
Many species that are threatened with extinction appear on the IUCN Red List, and the sweet biznaga is one of them..
In Mexico, this plant is protected by NOM-059-SEMAR-NAT-2010 in the condition of special protection, since it is a species that is extracted from nature without any control for different purposes. Other researchers have classified it as a threatened species (category 4), and others as a vulnerable species.
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Echinocactus platyacanthus Link & Otto, is an endemic species from Mexico. It is globular in shape. It is a tall and large cactus of light green color, which can measure from 0.5 to 2 m in height and 0.6 to 1.2 m in diameter, and is made up of 21 to 24 very pronounced ribs..
It has gray areolas along its ribs that have grayish-brown spines, and are approximately four radial and three or four longer central.
The radial spines are between 1.2 and 1.6 cm in length, while the central spines are between 6 and 8 cm in length and are slightly curved. Individuals begin their reproduction when they reach about 21 cm in height.
The maximum flowering occurs between May and August. The flowers are diurnal in summer, golden yellow in color, measure around 5 to 7 cm in diameter, last for two to three days, and are located centered on the wool crown that the individuals of this plant present in the upper central part. . The main pollinators of this species are bees.
The fruits ripen during spring and when summer begins, in addition to presenting a peak of fruiting in May. They can contain between 1 and 600 seeds. Goats are the main dispersers of its seeds.
This species needs to be exposed to the sun like any normal cactus. Lime can be added to the substrate that is used for its growth. The minimum temperature it supports is 15 ° C. The sweet biznaga is distributed throughout the central area of Mexico. It is a slow growing cactus.
The populations of the sweet biznaga are distributed from 18-25 ° N of latitude, and 95-107 ° of longitude, with a disjunction in the humid regions and the Transversal Volcanic Axis. In general, they are located in the central area of Mexico.
They grow in regions with a semi-arid climate, with an annual rainfall of 250 to 400 mm, and a temperature of 17 to 22 ° C. They are distributed between 1100 and 2400 meters above sea level.
The seedlings of this species grow on lithosol soils derived from limestone rock. The habitat is represented by the presence of xerophytic vegetation with thorny bushes.
The biznaga is common in the semi-arid region of the Mexican Altiplano. In Mexico, the population density of this species can vary from 1000 to 1500 individuals per hectare, being in San Luis Potosí the site where there is a greater conservation of this cactus.
Due to its particular characteristics, the sweet biznaga needs the attention of conservationists because in its growth zones there are a low number of seedlings and juvenile individuals. This is due to its slow growth and the fact that it is a species that does not tolerate disturbances..
Echinocactus platyacanthus It was described by Link & Otto (1827), it is a plant that belongs to the cactaceae family, specifically the Echinocactaceae tribe. Some synonyms are: E. karwinskii, E. ingens, E. grandis Rose and E. palmeri Rose.
The term echino means hedgehog. Therefore its name refers to the morphology of this cactus, which is similar to the shape of this animal.
Its taxonomic description is as follows:
- Kingdom: Plantae.
- Phylum: Tracheophyta.
- Class: Magnoliopsida.
- Order: Caryophyllales.
- Family: Cactaceae.
- Gender: Echinocactus.
- Species: E. platyacanthus.
The Echinocactus platyacanthus it is one of the most economically important species in Mexico. In pre-Columbian times these plants were sacred cacti used on altars during human sacrifices, and also served as food and medicine..
Today, these cacti are used for ornamental purposes and to make products in confectioneries. In addition, previously it was used up to the apical clothing (wool) of this cactus as filler after being spun.
The Echinocactus It is a cactus seriously threatened by the great exploitation of its populations to make the traditional sweet known as acitrón or biznaga. This plant is also used as fodder for donkeys and goats.
In addition to these uses, individuals from Echinocactus They are at risk of mortality due to the mechanical damage they suffer at the time of extraction (trampling), especially plants that measure less than 5 cm, and plants that are greater than 40 cm are intentionally damaged with instruments such as the machete, that expose the plant tissue for later consumption by goats and sheep.
Also, cattle cause soil disturbance, which leads to the destruction of their microhabitat.
In this sense, the impact of man is the main factor that increases the vulnerability of this species. This is increased by the extraction of plants in the adult stage, because they cannot be replaced in the short term because they have a very slow growth, thus affecting their population structure in ecological terms..
Due to this, it is recommended to use propagation techniques to counteract the danger of extinction..
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