Pilosocereus zahrae
| Pilosocereus zahrae | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pilosocereus zahrae (holotype) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Pilosocereus zahrae | ||||||||||||
| PJ Brown |
Pilosocereus zahrae is a species of plant in the genus Pilosocereus from the cactus family(Cactaceae). The specific epithet honors the Maltese cactus lover René Zahra.
description
Pilosocereus zahrae grows individually or slightly branched from the base and reaches heights of up to 0.4 meters. The upright, green shoots have a diameter of up to 3.5 centimeters. There are about 16 ribs. The oval areoles on it are approx. 2 millimeters long and 1.5–2 millimeters wide. The needle-shaped thorns are thin, flexible and golden yellow. The central and radial spines are hardly distinguishable from one another. Usually 6–8 central spines have a length of up to 2.2 centimeters. The radial spines arranged in 8–16 radial form are up to 8 millimeters long. A part of the shoots capable of blooming is clearly pronounced. It includes up to 5 ribs over a length of up to 5 centimeters. White hairs and golden-yellow bristles up to 3.3 centimeters in length arise from the flowering areoles. The somewhat bell-funnel-shaped bat flowers are initially green on the outside, later reddish in anthesis. They are up to 3.5 centimeters long and have a diameter of up to 3.3 centimeters. When ripe, the red, depressed spherical fruits are up to 2–3 centimeters long, reach a diameter of up to 3 centimeters and contain a pink- red pulp. The seeds are smooth, shiny black, about 2 millimeters long and about 1 millimeter long.
Distribution, systematics and endangerment
Pilosocereus zahrae was first discovered in 1983 in the south of the Brazilian state of Bahia near Licinio Almeida at an altitude of approx. 1000 m by Pierre Braun and Leopoldo Horst, but has unfortunately not been found since then. Even then, the region was heavily deforested, so it is to be feared that the species has now become extinct in nature. The first description was published in 2019 by Pierre J. Braun .
In the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN , the species is not yet officially listed; In the first description, a classification of at least “critically endangered” is recommended.
proof
literature
Individual evidence
- ↑ Pierre J. Braun: Pilosocereus zahrae (Cactaceae) - a new species from Bahia, Brazil. In: Cacti and other succulents . Volume 70 (5): 145-150.2019