Rapicactus beguinii


Rapicactus beguinii is a species of Rapicactus found in Mexico.

Description

Rapicactus beguinii is a solitary cactus characterized by its grayish to bluish-green, spherical to short cylindrical-spherical stems and fibrous roots. Stems grow tall and in diameter, with high conical tubercles. The plant has 2 to 3 central spines that are 12- long, which are slender, straight, spreading, and white to yellowish-brown, darkening at the tips. It also possesses 9 to 27 radial spines that are 4- long, which are straight, spreading, white, and also darken at their tips. Flowers are in diameter and range in color from whitish or yellowish to magenta. The greenish-magenta fruits are long.

Subspecies

Accepted Subspecies:
ImageScientific nameDescriptionDistribution
Rapicactus beguinii subsp. beguinii NE. Mexico-
Rapicactus beguinii subsp. hintoniorum Mexico -

Distribution

This species is found in the pine forest and steep cliffs in the Mexican states of Nuevo León, Coahuila, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas at elevations between 1900 and 2100 meters.

Taxonomy

First described as Thelocactus beguinii by Nigel Paul Taylor in 1983 who named it after Abbé Beguin of Brignoles. It was moved to the genus Rapicactus by Jonas M. Lüthy in 2003.