''Reicheocactus'', is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus of cactus in the family

Cactaceae 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 north western Argentina. It has only one known species; ''Reicheocactus famatimensis'' It is usually solitary or slowly clumping and slow growing. The stems are small flattened-roundish to cylindrical with very short spidery-pectinate spines and egg-yellow flowers. The species grows at elevations of metres above sea level. It is found in high altitude grasslands on rocky soils. The species is not common or abundant, however it is difficult to see because of its small size. The major threat for the species is over collection (by plant collectors). The potential development of

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...

in its natural habitat could affect the populations of the species in the near future. The genus ''Reicheocactus'' was published in Cactaceae (Berlin) 1941(2) on page 76 (published in 1942), and the species was published in Cactaceae Syst. Init. vol.28 on page 30 in 2012. It was once thought to be a synonym of ''

Rebutia ''Rebutia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family cactus, Cactaceae, native to Bolivia and Argentina. They are generally small, colorful cacti, globular in form, which freely produce flowers that are relatively large in relation to the bod ...

'', and commonly found in cactus nurseries as ''Lobivia famatimensis''. The genus name of ''Reicheocactus'' is in honour of

Karl Friedrich Reiche Karl Friedrich Reiche ( es, Carlos Reiche, October 31, 1860 – February 26, 1929) was a German botanist who worked as a university professor in Chile and Mexico. Life Reiche was born in Dresden and earned his doctorate in 1885 in Leipzig. He ...

(1860-1929), who was a German

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

who worked as a university

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

and

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 ...

. The Latin

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

of ''famatimensis'' is derived from

Sierra de Famatina 200px, Coat of arms of La Rioja featuring ''Cerro General Belgrano'' Sierra de Famatina is mountain range and massif in the Andes of the Argentine province of La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous community and province in Spain, in the north ...

, a mountain range and

massif In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

in the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

of the Argentine province of

La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous community and province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and N� ...

References

Other sources

* Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton "Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names". Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg 2010 {{Taxonbar, from1=Q21447035, from2=Q92432206 Cactoideae Flora of Northwest Argentina Plants described in 1941 Cactoideae genera Monotypic Cactaceae genera