''Ferocactus fordii'' is a species of

succulent plant In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

in the family Cactaceae, commonly known as Ford's barrel cactus, endemic to the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico. It is spherical, growing to in diameter, with whitish-grey radial spines and solitary flowers of a deep rose pink, in diameter.

Description

''Ferocactus fordii'' var. ''fordii'' is a relatively small in stature barrel cactus that is usually less than tall. It is characterized by simple, depressed globose to short-cylindric stems with 21 ribs. Each areole has around 21 spines, with 4 stout, flattened, and gray-colored central spines arranged in the pattern of a cross. The flowers are orchid to rose purple and appear from March to April, and mature into oval fruits that are pink to yellow.

Taxonomy

Infrataxa

* ''Ferocactus fordii'' var. ''fordii'' – The autonymic infraspecies, ranging from San Quintín, Baja California to the Vizcaíno Peninsula in

Baja California Sur Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...

. Also known as subsp. ''fordii''. * ''Ferocactus fordii'' subsp. ''borealis'' N.P.Taylor – A short-spined and shorter in stature infraspecies, commonly known as Ford's northern barrel cactus, ranging from San Quintín to

El Rosario ''El rosario'' is a 1944 Mexican romantic drama film directed by Juan José Ortega. The film is based on a novel by Florence L. Barclay. It stars Andrea Palma Andrea Palma (b. Trapani, 1644 or 1664 – d. 1730) was an 18th-century Italian arc ...

. Recognized by Kew's

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

, while the San Diego Natural History Museum in their 2016 ''Baja Checklist'' by Rebman et al. suggests the subspecies may deserve recognition if more taxonomic study is conducted. * ''Ferocactus fordii'' var. ''grandiflorus'' G.E. Linds. – A Baja California Sur endemic infraspecies, commonly known as large-flowered Ford barrel cactus or the Vizcaíno barrel cactus that ranges from Bahía Tortugas south to

Punta Abreojos () NGIA (2004) is a fishing town in Mulegé Municipality, Baja California Sur, Mexico. It is located at the entrance to , a Biosphere Reserve which is frequently visited by pods of grey whales. Rains (2006) An isolated hill, high, rises a few mi ...

. It has red or orange flowers. This variety is recognized by the San Diego Natural History Museum in their 2016 ''Baja Checklist'' by Rebman et al. Also known as ''

Ferocactus chrysacanthus ''Ferocactus chrysacanthus'', commonly known as the Cedros barrel cactus, is an Endangered species, endangered species of cactus Endemism, endemic to the islands of Cedros Island, Cedros and Islas San Benito, West San Benito off the Pacific coast ...

'' subsp. ''grandiflorus'' (G.E. Linds.) N.P. Taylor, which is accepted by Kew's Plants of the World Online, and recognized by Joël Lodé as synonymous with ''

Ferocactus gracilis ''Ferocactus gracilis'', the fire barrel cactus, is a species of Ferocactus from Northwestern Mexico. This cactus gets its common name from the striking red coloration of its defensive spines and flowers. Description ''Ferocactus gracilis'' is a ...

''. Undescribed * ''Ferocactus fordii'' var. ''brevispinus'' ''

Nomen nudum In taxonomy, a ''nomen nudum'' ('naked name'; plural ''nomina nuda'') is a designation which looks exactly like a scientific name of an organism, and may have originally been intended to be one, but it has not been published with an adequate descr ...

'' (catalog name) – An undescribed name used in horticultural catalogs to indicate a cultivated morphological form with shorter spines. Plants sometimes assigned to ''Ferocactus chrysacanthus'' from

Isla Natividad Isla Natividad is an island in the Pacific Ocean 6 km west off Punta Eugenia, the northwestern headland of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. 200 meters off its northwestern end lies Roca María at , with an area of 0.074 km2 ...

, which is located midway between the ''F. c.'' ssp. ''chrysacanthus'' on Cedros Island and the subspecies ''grandiflorus'' of the Vizcaíno Peninsula, are in fact ''Ferocactus fordii'' because of their distinctly purple flowers.

Distribution

''Ferocactus fordii'' is endemic to the Baja California Peninsula and its two constituent states in Mexico, and is found along the Pacific Coast. It occurs from the vicinity of San Quintín, Baja California to the town of

Guerrero Negro Guerrero Negro is the largest town located in the municipality of Mulegé in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur (BCS). It had a population of 14,316 in the 2015 census. The town is served by Guerrero Negro Airport. Whale Festival The ...

on the Vizcaíno Peninsula of far northern

, and is also on

Isla San Martín Isla San Martín is an island in the Pacific Ocean west of the Baja California Peninsula. The island is uninhabited and is part of the Ensenada Municipality. Biology Isla San Martín has six species of reptiles: ''Anniella geronimensis'' (Baja ...

and Isla Natividad. When var. ''grandiflorus'' is included, it ranges further south to Bahía Tortugas and

Cultivation

In cultivation it requires the protection of glass.

References

External links

''Ferocactus fordii'' at the Encyclopedia of Life
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1407481, from2=Q49547143, from3=Q49546840, from4=Q15014729 fordii Cacti of Mexico Endemic flora of Mexico Flora of Baja California Flora of Baja California Sur Plants described in 1899 Taxa named by Joseph Nelson Rose Taxa named by Nathaniel Lord Britton