CactusWorldCactusWorldThe Journal of the British Cactus & Succulent Society

Volume 29 No. 2

June 2011

A new jewel in the genus Turbinicarpus: Turbinicarpusgraminispinus G.F.Matuszewski, V.Myk & Z.Jirue

by Zlatko Janeba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Sackcloth and ashesby John Pilbeam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Some highlights hunting hedgehogs in northern Mexicoby Peter Berresford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

The Rats Tail Cactusby Roy Mottram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Life Membership Award to John Arnold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Notes on cacti from the northwest of Bolivia with a newEchinopsis species

by Martin Lowry and J Moises Mendoza F . . . . . . . . . . .91

Typification of Copiapoa conglomerata (Phil.) Lembckeby Helmut Walter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

A new species of Acharagma (Cactaceae) from Mexicoby Zsolt Elhart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

Literature review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

Forum reportby Christopher Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

CactusTalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Round Robins Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Contents

Our cover pictures this time are two rather spe-cial miniatures. The front cover is the brand newturbinicarpus introduced in this issue by ZlatkoJaneba, Turbinicarpus graminispinus(Photo: Zlatko Janeba)

The rear cover features Crassula barklyi fromHarry Halls Liebendal Farm, in the VredendalDistrict, gathered by him in 1981 under the fieldreference H5049. It grew in full sun in habitat, butis very tolerant of a wide range of conditions, andhas even flourished at temperatures down to -5Cwith me, producing its pretty flowers in Februaryand March each year. The tiny stems are barely upto 2.7cm long and 1.1cm diameter and the flowersexpand to 6.5mm. This particular sample containsthe unusual red-flowered form, with pale pink towhite being more usually found(Photo: Roy Mottram)

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The Mexican genus Turbinicarpus consists of some3545 taxa, depending on ones personal view orwhether the related cactus genera, such as Rapicactus,are included or not. Thus, 36 taxa in 16 species are

recognised in The new Cactus Lexicon (Hunt 2006),while Zachar (2004) features 43 taxa (species, sub-species, and varieties), plus many garden hybrids andalso the natural hybrid T. mombergeri. Although

A new jewel in the genusTurbinicarpus:Turbinicarpus graminispinusG.F.Matuszewski, V.Myk &Z.JirueZlatko Janeba

An introduction to a new turbinicarpus with a personality far larger than its diminutive size.Photography by the author.

Fig. 1 My cactophile companions admiring the tiny Turbinicarpus graminispinus in its natural habitat on 16 Feb 2010

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taxonomy of this genus is complex and still far frombeing resolved, these miniature plants are highlyprized by enthusiasts. Turbinicarpi have an attractiveappearance, flower readily, and a reasonable collectionof the whole genus can be housed easily within onesquare metre of precious glasshouse space.

A new and attractiveTurbinicarpus species was dis-covered only very recentlyand described earlier thisyear in the Italian journalCactus & Co (2011). As thismight not be read widely inthe UK, the new gem fromMexico is introduced brieflyhere.

It was discovered by twoCzech cactophiles, VojtaMyk and Zdenk Jirue, inthe spring of 2008. A groupof Polish cactus enthusiasts,Grzegorz Matuszewski,Darek Raczko, and KazikDobroczyski also independ-ently made the same amazingdiscovery some 18 months

later in November 2009. Actually, GrzegorzMatuszewski, with the aid of Google maps, had iden-tified the locality as a promising location for a cactussearch much earlier for a trip in 2007. However, hefound himself short of time, and did not make thejourney until 2009. As the discovery could have

Fig. 2 Mexico has revealed another of its cactus treasures! This dwarf cactus grows hardly anybigger than a US quarter dollar

Fig. 3 From a distance, the long central spines of T. graminispinus give the appearance of a tuft of dried grass

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caused a race for priority, theCzech and Polish explorersagreed amicably to publishjointly.

I was lucky enough to be inMexico in the spring of2010 with my two compan-ions Jaroslav nicer andRichard Kalas. We met uptwice with Vojta Myk andJaroslav Zhora, who werethemselves undertakinganother cactus hunting expe-dition, and during the firstencounter we succeededfinally in finding anothergem among Mexican cacti,Mammillaria luethyi, in thestate of Coahuila. On thesecond time we met, Vojta Myk took us to theplace where T. graminispinus grows.

It really was a wonderful and exciting moment to beroaming in the habitat of this hard-to-find miniatureTurbinicarpus with our cameras almost permanentlyswitched on. The relatively numerous but very well-camouflaged tiny bodies are enveloped with longspines of the appearance of dried grass (hence thespecific epithet graminispinus), and at this momentloaded with flower buds. Unfortunately for us, not asingle flower had opened to show off their delicatebeauty. This was the middle of February and sever-al more days of warm and sunny conditions wouldbe necessary to start the show. It seemed on that dayas though all the plants were going to flower synchronously within the next 710 days, subject tosuitable weather and temperature. However, turbini-carpi can flower randomly throughout the growingperiod, so this may be just a prelude to a muchlonger flowering period.

Unfortunately, our busy schedule and complex itin-erary did not allow us to return to the home of thisspecies, but two of our friends did so and wererewarded with the splendid sight of T. graminispinusin full flower.

T. graminispinus, like most ungrafted turbinicarpi, is asolitary miniature, reaching only 1520mm in diam-eter. There are seven white radial spines per areoleand usually one thin flexible central, up to 3cm longand yellowish-brown in colour. Older plants can

Fig. 4 Most of the tiny bodies of this turbinicarpus were loaded with buds, suggesting that in thenext few days there would be a wonderful display of flowers

Fig. 5 Only this single T. graminispinus was about to open its flower inmid-February, yet it was clear from this that when fully expanded itwould be larger that the tiny cactus body itself

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have two more additional central spines. The fun-nelform flowers are huge compared with the tiny bod-ies, up to 5cm in diameter. Its petals are pure white orslightly pinkish, with a more or less distinct pinkishmidstripe. The accompanying pictures tell more thanany description and for those interested in moredetails, please refer to the original article in the journalCactus & Co (2011). It is very well written, with adetailed and tabulated comparison of the new plantwith the related and/or similar species: T. gracilis, T. swobodae, T. hoferi, T. saueri, T. laui.

Plants of the genusTurbinicarpus in the strictsense are often adapted toextreme ecological niches,and this is true of T. graminispinus as well. Sofar it is known from sever-al limestone hills in anarea of about one squarekilometre. The habitat islocated in the southernpart of the state of NuevoLen, where it growstogether with other cacti,

including Mammillaria candida, M. formosa, M. pilispina,Neolloydia conoidea, and Thelocactus conothelos.

The cultivation demands of this beautiful novelty ofthe cactus world can be expected to be similar to thoseof other species of the genus Turbinicarpus. Hopefully,this species will soon spread among enthusiasts world-wide, as this is the surest way of avoiding the unwel-come attention of eager collectors willing to gatherplants illegally from the as yet untouched population.Conservation of natural habitats of rare plants in gen-eral should be our ultimate goal, best achieved by mak-ing available a propagated source for all those admirerswishing to possess their beauty in private collections.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:My sincere thanks go to Vojta Myk and Grzegorz Matuszewski fortheir valuable information and reviewing of this text. I also thank theEditor for many helpful improvements to the text.

LITERATURE CITED:Hunt, D R (2006) The new Cactus Lexicon (2 vols). DH books, Milborne

Port.Matuszewski, G F, Myk, V, & Jirue, Z (2011) Turbinicarpus

graminispinus spec. nov., Cact. & Co. 14(4): 16-31. 2010 [publ.(Mar) 2011].

Zachar, M (2004) The genus Turbinicarpus. Vydavatelstvo Igor Drab &Spolo nost Cactaceae etc., Bratislava.

Zlatko JanebaRoklova 1908, Prague 9, Czech Republic

Email: desert-flora@seznam.cz

Layout by Alice Vanden Bon

Fig. 6 T. graminispinus preferslimestone crevices withoutcompetition from any othervegetation, other than thewidespread clubmosses

Fig. 7 T. graminispinus often grows in tiny crevices where thesoil is almost absent. The epidermis of this cactus can becomered when exposed to the sun like this specimen