Machaerocereus gummosus (Engelmann) Britton & Rose

Publication The Cactaceae 2: 116(-117), fig. 173-175 (1920).
Basionyme Cereus gummosus Engelmann

Synonyme de

Stenocereus gummosus (Engelmann) A.C.Gibson & K.E.Horak

Commentaires

Publication:
"2. Machaerocereus gummosus (Engelmann).
Cereus gummosus Engelmann in Brandegee, Proc. Calif. Acad. II. 2:162. 1889.
Cereus cumengei Weber, Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 1: 317. 1895.
Cereus flexuosus Engelmann in Coulter, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 3: 411. 1896.
Lemaireocereus cumengei Britton & Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 424. 1909.
Lemaireocereus gummosus Britton & Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 425. 1909.
Erect or ascending, but usually not a meter high, or with long, spreading, sometimes prostrate, branches, the whole plant sometimes having a spread of 6 to 7 meters; branches 4 to 6 cm. in diameter; ribs usually 8, rarely 9, low and obtuse; areoles rather large, about 2 cm. apart; spines stout, the radials 8 to 12, somewhat unequal, about 1 cm. long; central spines 3 to 6, stout, flattened, one much longer than the others and about 4 cm. long; flowers 10 to 14 cm. long, the tube long and slender; inner perianth-segments 2 to 2.5 cm. long, purple; stamens about as long as the segments; fruit subglobose, 6 to 8 cm. in diameter, spiny; skin of fruit bright scarlet; pulp purple; seeds rugose, pitted, 2.5 mm. long.
Type locality: Lower California.
Distribution: Lower California and adjacent islands.
Dr. Rose, who visited Lower California in 1911, found this the most widely distributed there of all the cacti. He observed it at all stations visited on the main peninsula and on all the islands of the Gulf of California except Tiburon and Estaban. The plant is rather diverse in its habit; it often sends out long horizontal branches which take root and start other colonies. In habit it much resembles Rathbunia alamosensis, but is usually stouter and less gregarious. The fruit is called pitahaya agre or pitahaya agria and is probably the most valuable fruit of Lower California. A fish poison is prepared by bruising the stems. The mashed pulp is the thrown into a running stream.
Cereus gummatus, C. gumminosus, and C. pfersdorffii Hildmann (Schumann, Gesamtb. Kakteen 125. 1897) are only garden names of this species.
Illustrations: Grässner, Haupt-Verz. Kakteen 3; Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 13: 105, both as Cereus gummosus; Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 16: pl. 126A, as Lemaireocereus gummosus.
Figure 173 is from a photograph of a plant collected by Dr. Rose at Santa Maria Bay in 1911; figure 174 is from a photograph taken by E. A. Goldman on Esperito Santo Island, Lower California, in 1906; figure 175 shows a flower drawn from an herbarium specimen obtained from C. R. Orcutt, collected in northern Lower California."

Avec complément dans l'Appendix de The Cactaceae 4: 276 (1923):
"On page 117, vol. II, under Machaerocereus gummosus, add to illustrations: Cact. Journ. 2: 107, as Cereus gummosus; Zeitschr. Ges. Erdk. 1916: f. 6, in part; Karsten and Schenck, Vegetationsbilder 13: pl. 17 f. A."

Étymologie

Machaerocereus: du grec makaira, glaive (épée courte à deux tranchants des Romains), en référence aux épines centrales.
gummosus: du latin gumma, gomme, peut-être en référence au mucilage des tiges qui coulerait puis durcirait à l'air libre en cas de blessure, comme la gomme des cerisiers?

Numéros de collecte

Vous pouvez chercher les numéros de collecte pour cette espèce dans :

• la base de Ralph Martin : Machaerocereus gummosus
• la base de Christophe Ludwig : Machaerocereus gummosus

Forum

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Auteur

philippe (contacter l'auteur ou écrire aux admins de l'encyclopédie)
Fiche créée le 16/12/2004.