Ferocactus is a genus of large barrel-shaped cacti, mostly with large spines and small flowers. There are about 30 species included in the genus. They are found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.
Description The young specimens are columnar but as they grow older ribs form and they take on a barrel form. Most of the species are solitary but some, such as Ferocactus robustus and F. glaucescens, have clustering habits. The flowers are pink, yellow, red or purple depending on the species, and the petals sometimes have a stripe of a darker colour.
Habitat They are desert dwellers and can cope with some frost and intense heat. The typical habitat is hot and very arid, and the plants have adapted to exploit water movement to concentrate their biomass in areas where water is likely to be present. Like Sclerocactus, Ferocactus typically grow in areas where water flows irregularly or depressions where water can accumulate for short periods of time. They are most often found growing along arroyos (washes) where their seeds have been subjected to scarification due to water movement, but they oddly also tend to grow along ridges in spots where depressions have formed and can hold water for some period of time.
Adaptations Ferocactus have very shallow root systems and are easily uprooted during flash floods. The "fishhook" spines and the armored web of spines enclosing the cactus body in many species of this genus are adaptations which allow the plant to move to more favorable locations. The seeds germinate in areas where water movement occurs or in areas where standing water accumulates for some period of time, and during flash floods, the hooked spines allow the plants to be caught on waterborne debris, uprooted and carried to areas where water tends to accumulate.
Cultivation In cultivation Ferocactus require full sun, little water, and good drainage. They are popular as houseplants. They cannot tolerate freezing temperatures for extended periods, which typically cause them to yellow, bleach, then slowly die. Propagation is usually from seeds, but clustering species such as Ferocactus robustus and F. glaucescens can be propagated by removing a rooted offset and planting it.
Ecology Many Ferocactus species are ant plants, exuding nectar along the upper meristem from extrafloral nectaries above each areole, and hosting ant colonies.
Species Section Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Section Bisnaga Ferocactus echidne Sonora Barrel Cactus, Coville's Barrel Cactus, Emory's Barrel Cactus, Traveler's FriendMexico Ferocactus flavovirens Mexico. Ferocactus glaucescens Hidalgo, México. Ferocactus haematacanthus (Salm-Dyck) Bravo ex Backeb. & F.M.Knuth Mexico. Ferocactus hamatacanthus (Muehlenpf.) Britton & Rose Turk's-Head Barrel Cactus, Biznaga-barril Costillona Chihuahuan Desert of north-western Mexico, New Mexico, and south-western Texas. Ferocactus histrix (DC.) G.E.Linds. Electrode Cactus Mexico. Ferocactus latispinus (Haw.) Britton & Rose southeastern Durango, through Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, east to the western parts of San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo and Puebla, as well as to eastern Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro and Mexico State. Ferocactus lindsayi Mexico (Michoacán, Guerrero) Ferocactus macrodiscus Mexico. Ferocactus schwarzii Schwarz's Barrel Cactus Mexico. Section Ferocactus Ferocactus alamosanus Mexican state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico Ferocactus chrysacanthus Mexico. Ferocactus cylindraceus (Engelm.) Orcutt California Barrel Cactus, Biznaga-barril cilíndrica eastern Mojave Desert and western Sonoran Desert Ecoregions in: Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah in the Southwestern United States; and Baja California, and Sonora state in Northwestern Mexico. Ferocactus diguetii Mexico. Ferocactus emoryi (Engelm.) Orcutt Emory's Barrel Cactus, Biznaga-barril de Emory Mexico (Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California Sur) and in the United States (Arizona). Ferocactus fordii Baja California in Mexico. Ferocactus gracilis H.E.Gates Fire Barrel CactusMexico. Ferocactus herrerae Twisted Barrel Cactus Mexico (Sinaloa, Sonora) Ferocactus johnstonianus Britton & Rose Johnston's Barrel CactusAngel de la Guardia Island, Baja California, Mexico. Ferocactus peninsulae (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose Mexican state of Baja California Sur. Ferocactus pilosus Mexican Lime Cactus, Viznaga de Lima Méxican states of Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas Ferocactus pottsii Mexico. Ferocactus robustus Puebla and Veracruz in Mexico. Ferocactus santa-maria Santa-Maria Barrel Cactus Mexico. Ferocactus tiburonensis Mexico (Gulf of California: Tiburon Island) Ferocactus townsendianus Townsend Barrel Cactus Mexico. Ferocactus viridescens (Torr. & A.Gray) Britton & Rose San Diego Barrel Cactus, Biznaga-barril Verdosa northern Baja California, Mexico and California Ferocactus wislizeni (Engelm.) Britton & Rose Fishhook Barrel Cactus, Candy Barrel Cactus, Biznaga-barril de Nuevo Méxicosouthwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.
Formerly placed here Sclerocactus brevihamatus tobuschii (W.T.Marshall) N.P.Taylor (as F. tobuschii (W.T.Marshall) N.P.Taylor) Sclerocactus glaucus (K.Schum.) L.D.Benson (as F. glaucus (K.Schum.) N.P.Taylor) Sclerocactus mesae-verdae (Boissev. & C. Davidson) L.D.Benson (as F. mesae-verdae (Boissev. & C.Davidson) N.P.Taylor) Sclerocactus pubispinus (Engelm.) L.D.Benson (as F. pubispinus (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor) Glandulicactus mathssonii (A.Berger ex K.Schum.) D.J.Ferguson 1991(as F. mathssonii A.Berger ex K.Schum.) Glandulicactus uncinatus (Galeotti) Backeb. 1939(as F. uncinatus (Galeotti) Britton & Rose)
References
The species list is referenced in part from cactiguide.com which is in turn referenced from several books which are listed on that site. The principal book listed there is The Cactus Family by Edward F. Anderson, (2001).
External links
Rare Cactus: Ferocactus