''Strombocactus disciformis'' is a rare

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

cacti 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 ...

and the only species of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Strombocactus''. The plant originates from Central and Northeast

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 ...

Description

''Strombocactus'' is a monotypic genus with a strong turnip-like root, a small, depressed, roughly spherical stem covered with spirally arranged overlapping

tubercles In anatomy, a tubercle (literally 'small tuber', Latin for 'lump') is any round nodule, small eminence, or warty outgrowth found on external or internal organs of a plant or an animal. In plants A tubercle is generally a wart-like projection ...

, each with a spine-bearing

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 ...

at its tip. Flowers come from new growth at the crown, and the cactus's small seeds are difficult to see with the naked eye.

Taxonomy

The species has several forms and subspecies: *''Strombocactus disciformis'' f. ''cristata'' *''Strombocactus disciformis'' ssp. ''esperanzae''

Conservation status

Both subspecies ar
classified as Vulnerable
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 ...

, which states that it has a limited range and "is experiencing a decline in mature individuals due to illegal overcollection". The species is listed in Appendix 1 of the

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species 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 ...

meaning commercial international trade is prohibited and non-commercial international trade is regulated.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q8184911 Cactoideae Monotypic Cactaceae genera Flora of Mexico