Blossfeldia liliputana

Blossfeldia liliputana
	Blossfeldia liliputana
Systematics
Order :	Clove-like (Caryophyllales)
Family :	Cactus family (Cactaceae)
Subfamily :	Cactoideae
Tribe :	Notocacteae
Genre :	Blossfeldia
Type :	Blossfeldia liliputana
Scientific name of the genus
	Blossfeldia
	Werderm.
Scientific name of the species
	Blossfeldia liliputana
	Werderm.

Blossfeldia liliputana is the only plant species of the monotypic genus Blossfeldia in the cactus family(Cactaceae). It is the smallest known species of the cactus family. The botanical name honors Harry Blossfeld (1913–1986), one of the discoverers of the genus. The specific epithet liliputanus comes from Latin , derives from the island Liliput from Gulliver's travels and refers to the tiny plant bodies.

description

The very small, button-like Blossfeldia liliputana is gray-green, thornless and has no ribs or warts. It grows singly or with multiple stems with a diameter of up to 12 millimeters.

The flowers appear near the apex, are 6 to 15 millimeters long and have a diameter of 5 to 7 millimeters. They have a few tiny scales and are somewhat woolly. The spherical red fruits contain very small, brown, arillate seeds , the seed coat of which is covered with tiny, hair-like emergences .

Blossfeldia liliputana with unripe fruits

Distribution, systematics and endangerment

Blossfeldia liliputana was discovered by Harry Blossfeld and Oreste Marsoner in 1936 while exploring northern Argentina . The species has a very extensive range, which extends mainly along the east side of the Andes in southern Bolivia and in north and north-western Argentina. The typical sites are vertical, shady rock walls in ravines, where the plants get stuck in cracks and crevices with their small beet roots and form sprout chains.

It was first described in 1937 by Erich Werdermann . A nomenclature synonym is Parodia liliputana (Werderm.) NPTaylor (1987).

The following taxa were included as a synonym in the species: Blossfeldia liliputana var. Atrovirens hort. (no year, nom. invalid ICBN article 29.1), Blossfeldia vallegrandensis Hort. Kníže (no year, nom. Inval. ICBN -Article 29.1), Blossfeldia campaniflora Backeb. (1959, nom. Inval. ICBN -Article 37.1), Blossfeldia liliputana f. campaniflora (Backeb.) Krainz (1967, nom. inval. ICBN -Article 37.1), Blossfeldia liliputana var. campaniflora (Backeb.) Krainz (1975, nom. inval. ICBN -Article 37.1), Blossfeldia fechseri Backeb. (1962, nom. Inval. ICBN -Article 37.1), Blossfeldia liliputana f. fechseri (Backeb.) Krainz (1967, nom. inval. ICBN -Article 37.1), Blossfeldia liliputana var. fechseri (Backeb.) Krainz (1975, nom. inval. ICBN -Article 37.1), Blossfeldia liliputana var. caineana Cardenas (1964 ), Blossfeldia minima var. Caineana (Cárdenas) Hort. Kníže (1987, nom. Inval. ICBN -Article 32.1c, 33.3), Blossfeldia atroviridis F.Ritter (1965), Blossfeldia liliputana var. Atroviridis (F.Ritter) Krainz (1975), Blossfeldia pedicellata F.Ritter (1965), Blossfeldia atroviridis var. intermedia F.Ritter (1980) Blossfeldia liliputana var. formosa F.Ritter (1980), Blossfeldia minima F.Ritter (1980), Blossfeldia mizqueana Hort. Kníže (1987, nom. Inval. ICBN -Article 32.1c, 37.1) Blossfeldia subterranea Hort. Kníže (1987, nom. Inval. ICBN -Article 32.1c, 37.1), Blossfeldia sucrensis Hort. Kníže (1987, nom. Inval. ICBN -Article 32.1c, 37.1) and Blossfeldia tominensis Hort. Kníže (1987, nom. Inval. ICBN -Article 32.1c, 37.1).

In the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN , the species is listed as " Least Concern (LC) ". H. listed as not endangered.

proof

Habitat photo, population Purmamarca , Salta , Argentina

literature

Edward F. Anderson : The Great Cactus Lexicon . Eugen Ulmer KG, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-8001-4573-1 , p. 91-92 .
Curt Backeberg : Die Cactaceae: Handbuch der Kakteenkunde . 2nd Edition. tape III . Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart New York 1983, ISBN 3-437-30382-1 , p. 1665-1669 .

Individual evidence

↑ Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton: Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names . Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg 2010, ISBN 978-3-642-05597-3 , p. 137.

^ Erich Werdermann: From the collective results of the trips of H. Blossfeld and O. Marsoner through South America III. In: Kakteenkunde united with the cactus friend . Neudamm / Berlin 1937, p. 162.

↑ Blossfeldia liliputana in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: Kiesling, R., 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2014.

Web links

Commons : Blossfeldia liliputana - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Blossfeldia liliputana HJ443 - This form forms huge clusters of buds

[1] Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton: Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names . Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg 2010, ISBN 978-3-642-05597-3 , p. 137.

[2] Erich Werdermann: From the collective results of the trips of H. Blossfeld and O. Marsoner through South America III. In: Kakteenkunde united with the cactus friend . Neudamm / Berlin 1937, p. 162.