''Rebutia minuscula'' is a 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 ...
from South America found in northern
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 ...
and
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
.
[, p. 605] It is the
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...
of the genus ''
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 ...
''. As its synonym ''Rebutia senilis'' it has gained the
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...
’s
Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
History
The Award of Garden Merit ...
.
Its cultivars 'Krainziana', 'Marsoneri' and 'Violaciflora' are also listed as having gained the Award of Garden Merit.
The status of the species of ''Rebutia'' is currently uncertain; indeed the genus as defined by Anderson (2001) has been shown to be
polyphyletic
A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of converg ...
.
Anderson describes ''R. minuscula'' as consisting of globe-shaped stems with a diameter of up to , forming large clusters. The stem has 16–20 ribs with small but distinct tubercles ("bumps"). Each
areole
In botany, areoles are small light- to dark-colored bumps on cacti out of which grow clusters of spines. Areoles are important diagnostic features of cacti, and identify them as a family distinct from other succulent plants. Gordon Rowley - W ...
produces 25–30 fine whitish spines, long. As in other species of ''Rebutia'', the flowers are not produced at the top of the stem, but from around the base. They are red, up to long.
[ Other authorities include synonyms such as ''R.marsoneri'', with yellow to orange flowers, in ''R. minuscula'', giving the species a much broader range of flower colour.]
Subtaxa
The following varieties are accepted:
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q344764
minuscula
Cacti of South America
Endemic flora of Argentina