Astrophytum capricorne

Astrophytum capricorne, the goat's horn cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae, that is native to the Coahuila regions of Northern Mexico.[2] Growing to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) tall by 10 centimetres (3.9 in) wide in a ball or oval shape, it is grey-green in colour with 7 to 9 prominent ribs, very long twisted spines and yellow flowers with a red centre in summer.[3]

Astrophytum capricorne
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Astrophytum
Species:
A. capricorne
Binomial name
Astrophytum capricorne
(A.Dietr.) Britton & Rose

The common name of goat's horn cactus corresponds to the species identifier capricorne (capri meaning “goat” and corne meaning “horn”) [4] referring to the curved spines that are said to resemble a goat's horns.[2]

This species is designated as of "least concern"[1] by the IUCN as it is widely distributed in the Chihuahuan desert.

Cultivation

This species is grown, typically from seed, as an ornamental plant as it produces large, attractive yellow flowers with red central regions.[2] Some cultivars bear white flecking on the plant body while others lack this feature.[5] Though tolerant of cold temperatures, it must be grown in a warm, sheltered spot which does not freeze in winter. The soil should be poor, alkaline and very sharply drained. Alternatively it can be grown under glass in a pot with cactus compost. In cultivation in the UK, Astrophytum capricorne has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.[3]

Astrophytum capricorne in flower
Astrophytum capricorne var. crassispinum
Astrophytum capricorne var. senile

Prominent varieties and cultivars include:

Further reading

Mandujano, Maria; Bravo, Yolotzin; Verhulst, Johannes; Carrillo-Angeles, Israel; Golubov, Jordan (Feb 2015). "The population dynamics of an endemic collectible cactus". Acta Oecologica. 64: 1–7. doi:10.1016/j.actao.2014.12.004.

References
  1. Fitz Maurice, B.; Sotomayor, M.; Fitz Maurice, W.A.; Hernández, H.M.; Smith, M. (2017). "Astrophytum capricorne". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T152404A121473566. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T152404A121473566.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. "Astrophytum capricorne". www.cactus-art.biz. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  3. "RHS Plantfinder - Astrophytum capricorne". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  4. "Astrophytum capricorne (A. Dietrich) Britton & Rose | ISI 2016". www.huntington.org. Archived from the original on 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  5. "Astrophytum capricorne - Goat's Horn Cactus | World of Succulents". World of Succulents. 2013-05-07. Retrieved 2017-03-11.


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