Mammillaria radiosa

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Since 4 Aug 2013

Mammillaria radiosa Engelm.
Boston J. Nat. Hist. vi. 196. (1850)
Family: CACTACEAE

= Escobaria vivipara var. radiosa (Engelm.) D.R.Hunt
Cact. Succ. J. Gr. Brit. 40(1): 13 (1978).

Accepted Scientific Name: Escobaria vivipara (Nutt.) Buxb.
Oesterr. Bot. Z. 98: 78. 1951 as vivipera

Mammillaria radiosa (Escobaria vivipara var. radiosa) Photo by: Peiffer Clement

Origin and Habitat: Texas (Hood, Wise, Brown, Hamilton, Montague and Young Counties), USA.
Altitude range: Above 180 meters.
Habitat and ecology: Escobaria viviparaSN|9953]]SN|9953]] var. radiosa grows in grasslands and woodlands, on limestone soils. Blooming from May to June.

Synonyms:

Escobaria vivipara var. radiosa (Engelm.) D.R.Hunt

Cactus radiosus (Engelm.) J.M.Coult.
Coryphantha fragrans Hester
Coryphantha neovivipara var. radiosa (Engelm.) Y.Itô
Coryphantha radiosa (Engelm.) Rydb.
Coryphantha vivipara var. radiosa (Engelm.) Backeb.
Echinocactus radiosus (Engelm.) Poselg.
Escobaria radiosa (Engelm.) G.Frank
Mammillaria radiosa Engelm.
Mammillaria radiosa var. neomexicana (Engelm.) C.F.Först.
Mammillaria vivipara subs. radiosa (Engelm.) Engelm.
Mammillaria vivipara var. radiosa (Engelm.) Engelm.
Neomammillaria radiosa (Engelm.) Rydb.

See all synonyms of Escobaria vivipara

Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Fragrant cactus, Sour cactus, Spiny-star cactus, Spiny-star, Spiny star, Spinystar

Description: Escobaria viviparaSN|9953]]SN|9953]] var. radiosa is one of the varieties of Escobaria viviparaSN|9953]]SN|9953]] which is a somewhat variable taxon with several collected forms that were early published as full species or as varieties, but these were too weak botanically to stand, so they are all combined in E. vivipara, and the two plants are not readily distinguishable, if not for the geographical provenance. More likely they are one and the same species.
Distinguishing characteristics of var. radiosa:
Stems: Ovate or cylindrical, about 5 cm high and in diameter sometimes proliferous (with freely asexual propagating shoots), tubercles terete, dark green in 13 oblique rows.
Spines: Relatively dense, obscuring stems to varying degrees.
Radial spines: 20-30(-40) per areole, 1.2-1.9 cm long, white to pink, very unequal.
Central spines: 3-4(-5) per areole, stouter and longer, (8-)15-22 mm long, straight, mostly white basally but tipped with pink, red, or black, upper ones longer, lowest shorter and horizontal.
Flowers: 4-5 cm in expansion and about same diameter when fully open, light violet to dark purple; stigmas obtuse deep velvety purple. The flowers open three days in direct sunshine only and later than most Cactaceae from 12 or 1 till 3 or 4 o'clock The flower buds are formed in the axils of the first tubercles of the season but are immediately pushed aside by a continuous growth of more tubercules, the buds as well as the flowers and fruits are therefore lateral.
Fruits: Green, 1.9- 2.5 cm long.
Seeds: Brown, reticulate.
Taxonomic notes: Coryphantha fragransSN|10002]]SN|10002]] Hester is often placed under the synonymy of Escobaria viviparaSN|9953]]SN|9953]] var. radiosa as it seems to fit more closely that taxon than any other.

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Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Escobaria vivipara group

Escobaria vivipara (Nutt.) Buxb.: It is a small solitary or clumping cactus. Some varieties form colonies of over 200 stems. This species is the most widespread, abundant and variable member of the genus. It is densely covered in a mat of star-shaped arrays of spines. Known as far north as Manitoba (Canada)
Escobaria vivipara var. arizonica (Engelm.) D.R.Hunt: (Arizona Spinystar) - it is native to the desert southwest of the United States.
Escobaria vivipara var. bisbeeana (Orcutt) D.R.Hunt: (Bisbee Spinystar) - It is native to Arizona and New Mexico.
Escobaria vivipara var. borealis n.n.: same as Escobaria vivipara var. neomexicana (Engelm.) Buxb. Distribution: New Mexico.
Escobaria vivipara var. buoflama (P.Fischer) N.P.Taylor
Escobaria vivipara var. deserti (Engelm. in W.H.Brewer & S.Watson) W.T.Marshall: has cylindrical stems densely covered with spines. Flowers dirty-greenish-yellow to dull rusty-brown. Distribution: Southern Nevada, eastern California, southwestern Utah, and northwestern Arizona.
Escobaria vivipara var. kaibabensis (P.Fischer) N.P.Taylor: (Kaibab Spinystar) - It is mostly limited to Arizona
Escobaria vivipara var. neomexicana (Engelm.) Buxb. in Krainz: (New Mexico spinystar) - It is native to New Mexico and Texas. Spines nearly always white.
Escobaria vivipara var. radiosa (Engelm.) D.R.Hunt: is native to Texas ( Hood, Wise, Brown, Hamilton, Montague and Young Counties),USA.
Escobaria vivipara var. rosea (Clokey) D.R.Hunt

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Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) George Engelmann, Asa Gray “Plantae Lindheimerianae: An Enumeration of F. Lindheimer's Collection of Texan Plants, with Remarks and Descriptions of New Species, Etc” Freeman and Bolles, 1845
2) Elaine Nowick “Historical Common Names of Great Plains Plants, with Scientific Names Index: Volume II: Scientific Names Index” Lulu.com, 2014
3) Cyrus Longworth Lundell “Flora of Texas”, Volume 2 University Press, Southern Methodist University, 1969
4) Escobaria vivipara var. radiosa in: “SIDA, Botanical Miscellany” Herbarium, Southern Methodist University, 1999
5) Liberty Hyde Bailey, Wilhelm Miller “Cyclopedia of American Horticulture, Comprising Suggestions for Cultivation of Horticultural Plants, Descriptions of the Species of Fruits, Vegetables, Flowers and Ornamental Plants Sold in the United States and Canada, Together with Geographical and Biographical Sketches”, Volume 2, Macmillan, 1909

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