Cochemiea cerralboa


Cochemiea cerralboa is a rare species of cactus in the genus Cochemiea commonly known as the Cerralvo nipple cactus. It is only found on Cerralvo Island in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Description

Cochemiea cerralboa typically grows solitary and rarely forms groups. Its slender cylindrical shoots reach up to in height and in diameter. The yellowish-green warts are firm, conical to cylindrical, and lack milky juice. Axillae have short bristles. The plant features a strong, straight or sometimes hooked yellowish central spine, long, and about 10 yellow, straight radial spines, each up to long.
The funnel-shaped flowers are white with pinkish-brown central stripes, up to long and wide. The club-shaped fruits vary from greenish to purple-red and contain black seeds.

Taxonomy

It was first described as Neomammillaria cerralboa by Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose in 1923. In 2021, Peter B. Breslin and Lucas C. Majure reclassified it into the genus Cochemiea.

Distribution

Cochemiea cerralboa is endemic to Cerralvo Island, the southernmost island in the Gulf of California, belonging to the state of Baja California Sur in Mexico.