Ferocactus histrix

Ferocactus histrix, also known as Acitrón barrel cactus (Biznaga barril de acitrón) is a species of Ferocactus native to central Mexico.[1] It is a large barrel cactus that can be commonly found throughout all the Central Mexican matorral. It produces an edible fruit appreciated for its sour taste.

Ferocactus histrix
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Ferocactus
Species:
F. histrix
Binomial name
Ferocactus histrix
(DC.) G.E. Linds. 1955

Description

Other names for this specie is cactus de barril de caramelo, cactus de caramelo, cactus de electrodo and cactus de barril mexicano. This cactus grows as an unbranched spherical globe, and can reach more than 1 meter (3.3 ft) in height after several years. Mature plants can have their stem divided in up to 25 to 40 ribs.[2] After flowering, the Mexican cactus produces small, edible fruits that are often enjoyed by birds and other desert animals. Known for its ability to adapt to arid desert environments. It has a deep root system that allows it to absorb water from deep in the soil. This cactus also has a thick, waxy outer layer that helps prevent water loss through evaporation. This slow-growing cactus initially grows as a globular and then columnar cactus.[3]

Spines are light yellow, and in older specimens can measure more than 4cm in length. The epidermis is blue-green in mature plants.

It produces yellow medium-sized flowers from early to late spring and usually the fruits are mature by summer. It flowers when the plant is 10 years or older, though in cultivation they can flower earlier.

As in other cacti species, when the apical meristem is damaged, the plant produces new shoots from the areoles close to the tip of the stem.

Distribution and habitat

This cactus can be found (from east to west) in Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Zacatecas and Durango which makes it one of the barrel cacti with some of the largest distribution. It grows in xeric shrublands and volcanic slopes.

References
  1. "Ferocactus histrix in Tropicos".
  2. Rafael F. del Castillo; Sonia Trujillo (1991). Ethnobotany of Ferocactus histrix and echinocactus platyacanthus (Cactaceae) in the Semiarid Central Mexico: Past, Present and Future. , 45(4), 495–502. doi:10.1007/bf02930713 
  3. Anon. n.d. “Biznaga barril de acitron - Ferocactus histrix.” Planet Desert. Retrieved (https://planetdesert.com/products/biznaga-barril-de-acitron-ferocactus-histrix?pr_prod_strat=use_description&pr_rec_id=f349fb3fa&pr_rec_pid=8068113957107&pr_ref_pid=7997529817331&pr_seq=uniform).

[1] [2] [3]


  1. Rafael F. del Castillo; Sonia Trujillo (1991). Ethnobotany of Ferocactus histrix and Echinocactus platyacanthus (Cactaceae) in the Semiarid Central Mexico: Past, Present and Future. , 45(4), 495–502. doi:10.1007/bf02930713 
  2. De Medio Ambiente Y Recursos Naturales, Secretaría. n.d. “Conoce 8 especies endémicas mexicanas, orgullo nacional.” gob.mx. Retrieved (https://www.gob.mx/semarnat/articulos/conoce-10-especies-endemicas-mexicanas-orgullo-nacional?idiom=es).
  3. Anon. n.d. “Biznaga barril de acitron - Ferocactus histrix.” Planet Desert. Retrieved (https://planetdesert.com/products/biznaga-barril-de-acitron-ferocactus-histrix?pr_prod_strat=use_description&pr_rec_id=f349fb3fa&pr_rec_pid=8068113957107&pr_ref_pid=7997529817331&pr_seq=uniform).
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