''Denmoza'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
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 Gree ...
found in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, comprising only 2
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 ...
. The name of the genus is an
anagram of the western
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Mendoza. These species grow slowly and stay globulous during a long period before becoming shortly column-shaped, 0.5 to 1.5 m high. The plant's diameter varies from 15 to 30 cm.
Trunk color varies from pale green to dark green, dotted with 15 to 30 ribs.
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 are
zygomorphic
Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts.
Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spirall ...
, of a maximum length of 7.5 cm, reddish in color and have white hair on the tube. The flower open sufficiently widely so that the
stigma and
stamen are visible from outside. The
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 ...
is spherical, of about 2.5 cm in diameter, and pale green. They are sometimes also reddish and split at maturity.
Due to the Denmoza's long spines and column shape, it is a good candidate to create an
amplified cactus
An amplified cactus is a cactus plant (preferably a '' Denmoza'' or '' Geohintonia'') used as a musical instrument. It harnesses the acoustic properties of a cactus by applying contact microphones and amplifying their projection and tone. Vivien ...
.
Species
External links
Cacti Guide.com: ''Denmoza''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q8176532
Trichocereeae
Cacti of South America
Endemic flora of Argentina
Mendoza Province
Cactoideae genera