Opuntia cochenillifera
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Opuntia cochenillifera |
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| ( L. ) Mill. |
Opuntia cochenillifera is a species of plant in the genus Opuntia ( Opuntia ) from the cactus family(Cactaceae). The specific epithet cochenillifera means 'carrying scarlet or nopal scale insect (Cochenillelaus)'.
description
Opuntia cochenillifera grows tree-shaped with several ascending branches and trunks of up to 20 centimeters. It can reach heights of growth between 3 and 4 meters. The inverted egg-shaped, green shoot sections are up to 25 centimeters long. The small, sublime leaves fall off early. The woolly areoles are far apart. They have small, yellow glochids and no thorns .
The narrow flowers are rose-colored and can reach a length of up to 5.5 centimeters. Your pericarpel is covered with numerous glochids. The up to 5 centimeters long fruits are red.
Distribution, systematics and endangerment
Opuntia cochenillifera is believed to have originally come from Mexico , but is now common in warmer areas around the world.
The first description according to the rules of binary nomenclature was in Species Plantarum as Cactus cochenillifer by Carl von Linné . Philip Miller assigned it in 1768 to the genus Opuntia established by him . For a long time, numerous authors considered Joseph zu Salm-Reifferscheidt-Dyck 's classification in the now no longer recognized genus Nopalea necessary (as Nopalea cochenillifera ).
In the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN , the species is called " Data Deficient (DD) ", i. H. with insufficient data. The future development of the populations is unknown.
use
Opuntia cochenillifera is one of the most important host plants for the female cochineal scale insects (especially Dactylopius coccus ), from which the pigment carmine is made. 140,000 insects are necessary to produce 1 kilogram of carmine powder.
In Mexico and Central America , Opuntia cochenillifera is used as an antifungal agent. Furniture was made from their wood .
proof
literature
- Opuntia cochenillifera . In: Edward F. Anderson : The Cactus Family . Timber Press: Portland (Oregon), 2001, p. 492, ISBN 0-88192-498-9 .
- Nopalea cochenillifera Engelmann and Bigelow In: NL Britton , JN Rose : The Cactaceae. Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family . Washington, 1919, Volume I, pp. 34 f. (on-line)
- Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) SD. In: Curt Backeberg : Die Cactaceae: Handbuch der Kakteenkunde . 2nd edition, 1982, Volume I, pp. 629-631, ISBN 3-437-30380-5
Individual evidence
- ↑ Cacteae in Horto Dyckensi Cultae. Anno 1849 . P. 64, 1850
- ↑ Nopalea cochenillifera in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Posted by: Arreola, H., Ishiki, M. & Terrazas, T., 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- ^ Edward F. Anderson: The Cactus Family . Timber Press: Portland (Oregon), 2001, p. 65
