Coryphantha georgii


Coryphantha georgii is a species of cactus that is endemic to Mexico.

Description

Coryphantha georgii is a small cactus species that grows solitary, although it can sometimes form small clumps. The glossy, dark green stems range from flattened globose to club shaped, and measure up to 4 cm tall and about 7 cm in diameter. The body's top is woolly, and the cactus develops a taproot.
The body surface is deeply divided into numerous tubercles looking like closely packed, green chili peppers. Atop each tubercle arises a cluster of slender, stiff spines, from a spot called the areole. The areoles are circular, and woolly when young. Arising from the areoles are 8 to 9, thin spines which are white with brown tips. The flowers are white.

Distribution and habitat

The iNaturalist distribution map for Coryphantha georgii shows research-grade observations in the northeastern Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato and Querétaro.
Coryphantha georgii grows at elevations of 1,600 to 2,400 meters on volcanic soils of plains and slopes, behind rock walls, in grasslands and in clearings of oak forests.

Taxonomy

Coryphantha georgii was described by the German botanist Friedrich Bödeker and first published in the scientific journal Monatsschrift der Deutschen Kakteen-Gesellschaft 3: 163 in 1931.

Etymology

The genus name Coryphantha is derived from the Greek coryphe, meaning 'top' or 'head', plus anthos meaning 'flower'; this combination refers to the flowers' location at the apex of the stems. The term georgii honors the cactus collector Erich Georgi of Saltillo, Mexico.

Conservation status

The Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN classifies Coryphantha georgii as a Species of Least Concern.