''Pelecyphora'' 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
cacti, comprising 2 species. They originate from
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 ...
.
''Pelecyphora'' is known for its medicinal properties and may have been utilized as a psychoactive in the same way as ''
Lophophora williamsii
The peyote (; ''Lophophora williamsii'' ) is a small, spineless cactus which contains psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline. ''Peyote'' is a Spanish word derived from the Nahuatl (), meaning "caterpillar cocoon", from a root , "to ...
''. It is known as "Peyotillo".
Taxonomy
The two accepted species are:
Synonymy
At genus level
*The genus ''Encephalocarpus''
A.Berger has been brought into
synonymy
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 ...
with ''Pelecyphora''.
At species level
The following are synonyms of species now placed outside of ''Pelecyphora'':
*''Pelecyphora aselliformis var. pectinata'' (= ''
Mammillaria pectinifera'')
*''Pelecyphora pectinata'' (= ''
Mammillaria pectinifera'')
*''Pelecyphora pseudopectinata'' (= ''
Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus
''Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus'' is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae.
It is endemic to Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas states in northeastern Mexico. Its natural habitats are temperate forest
A for ...
'')
*''Pelecyphora valdeziana'' (= ''
Turbinicarpus valdezianus'')
*''Pelecyphora plumosa'' (= ''
Turbinicarpus valdezianus'')
*''Pelecyphora pulcherrima'' (= ''
Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus
''Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus'' is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae.
It is endemic to Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas states in northeastern Mexico. Its natural habitats are temperate forest
A for ...
'')
Psychoactivity
* Pelecyphora aselliformis:
Mescaline (Less than 0.00002% in dry weight) Neal ''et al.'' 1972
Conservation status
Both
P. aselliformis' and
P. strobiliformis' are classified as being of Least Concern on the
IUCN Red List
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...
, however both species ar
contained in Appendix 1of
CITES
CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...
species (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) as at June 2013.
References
Cactoideae
Cactoideae genera
{{Cactus-stub