''Escobaria minima'' (

syn. The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...

''Coryphantha minima'') is a rare species 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 Greek ...

known by the common names Nellie cory cactus, Nellie's pincushion cactus, birdfoot cactus, and others. It is a very popular species among cactus collectors. This is one reason why it is a highly

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

in the wild today.''Escobaria minima''.
The Nature Conservancy. This cactus is found only in Brewster County, Texas, in the United States, where there are three populations remaining near

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

.''Escobaria minima''.
Flora of North America. The cactus is limited to one outcrop in the

Marathon Uplift The Marathon Uplift is a Paleogene-age domal uplift, approximately in diameter, in southwest Texas. The Marathon Basin was created by erosion of Cretaceous and younger strata from the crest of the uplift.McBride, E.F. and Hayward, O.T., 1988''Ge ...

, where it grows in rocky

novaculite Novaculite, also called Arkansas Stone, is a microcrystalline to cryptocrystalline rock type that consists of silica in the form of chert or flint. It is commonly white to grey or black in color, with a specific gravity that ranges from 2.2 to 2.5 ...

soils.''Escobaria minima''.
Center for Plant Conservation.USFWS
Determination that ''Echinocereus viridiflorus'' var. ''davisii'' and ''Coryphantha minima'' are endangered species.
''Federal Register'' November 7, 1979. It was added to the endangered species list in 1979.

Description

The cactus' stem is mostly beneath the soil surface with the above ground portion a spiny spherical or columnar body no more than 3 centimeters long. It can become larger in cultivation. The longest spines are about half a centimeter long. They are flattened in shape and the tips are not needle-sharp but slightly more rounded. In color they may be tinged tan, yellow, gray, or pink, and sometimes the tips are darker. The flower is roughly 1.5 centimeters long and bright pink to magenta or rose-purple in color. It may be larger than the cactus body itself. The green or yellowish fruit is no more than 6 millimeters long.

Distribution and habitat

The cactus' natural habitat is the Chihuahuan

desert scrub Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (ancient Greek xērós, “dry") shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this ...

, where it grows in mats of ''

Selaginella ''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses. This family is distinguished from Lycopodiaceae (the clubmosses) by having scale-leaves bearing a ligule and by having ...

'' in rock crevices. It occurs in association with '' Echinocereus viridiflorus'' var. ''davisii'', another cactus variety on the endangered species list. This cactus is tiny, interesting, and attractive, and it is a favorite of cactus hobbyists.''Escobaria minima''.
Texas Parks and Wildlife. Collectors have long visited the small patch of land where the cactus occurs. Much of this land is privately owned and not open to surveys or visitors, and the exact abundance of the cactus is not known. The cactus was once found on a

ranch A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...

in the area, but the owner of the ranch allowed cactus collectors to scour the land for specimens and this species was extirpated from the site. It has also been eliminated from easy-to-reach highway margins where it used to grow. The plant is propagated by growers today.

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile — ''Escobaria minima''
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q145024

minima In mathematical analysis, the maxima and minima (the respective plurals of maximum and minimum) of a function, known collectively as extrema (the plural of extremum), are the largest and smallest value of the function, either within a given ran ...

Endemic flora of Texas Cacti of the United States Flora of the Chihuahuan Desert Flora of the Rio Grande valleys Brewster County, Texas Critically endangered flora of the United States