''Astrophytum myriostigma'', the bishop's cap cactus, bishop's hat or bishop's miter cactus, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

cactus A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ...

native to the

highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...

of northeastern and central

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

include ''

Echinocactus ''Echinocactus'' is a genus of cacti in the subfamily Cactoideae. The generic name derives from the Ancient Greek εχινος (''echinos''), meaning "spiny," and ''cactus''. It and ''Ferocactus'' are the two genera of barrel cactus. Members of ...

myriostigma'', ''Astrophytum prismaticum'', ''A. columnare'', ''A. tulense'', and ''A. nuda''.

Morphology

''Astrophytum myriostigma'' is a spineless cactus defined by the presence of three to seven (usually five) pronounced vertical ribs which define the cactus' shape when young (the genus name "astrophytum", literally, "star plant", is derived from the resulting star-like shape). As the cactus ages, more ribs may be added and it becomes more cylindrical in shape, growing up to about tall and in diameter. In the wild, globose to cylindrical stem is covered with a whitish flocking of trichomes. Some horticultural varieties lack the flocking.

Life cycle

In the wild, the cacti flower in early spring, so that their seeds can grow with summer rains. In cultivation this differs, and the plants may flower in summer. Plants produce one or more

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s diameter near the apex; the numerous

tepals A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

are creamy yellow, sometimes with an orange or red base.

Pollinated Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, ...

flowers develop into a hairy reddish

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

about in diameter. Plants may take up to six years to flower. ''A. myriostigma'' is commonly grown as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

in cactus collections.

Trivia

This plant has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

Gallery

File:Bishop's Cap.JPG, Astrophytum myriostigma.jpg File:Astrophytum myriostigma flower.jpg File:AstrophytumMyriostigma.jpg File:Astrophytum myriostigma 11.JPG File:Astriphytum myriostigma 2.JPG, Old plant File:Astrophytum myriostigma quadricostatum.JPG, ''A. myriostigma'' var. ''quadricostatum'' File:Astrophytum myriostigma nudum 5.JPG, ''A. myriostigma'' var. ''nudum'' File:Astrophytum myriostigma v. tricostatum 1.JPG, ''A. myriostigma'' var. ''tricostatum''

References

External links

*
"Bishop's cap cactus"

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...

. 28/7/2005.
"Bishop's Miter, Bishop's Cap"
www.desert-tropicals.com. 28/7/2005.
photos on www.AIAPS.org

photos on www.cactiguide.com
{{Taxonbar, from=Q637364 myriostigma Cacti of Mexico Endemic flora of Mexico Flora of Central Mexico Flora of Northeastern Mexico Garden plants of North America Plants described in 1839