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| Notocactus | |
|---|---|
| Name | Notocactus |
| Regnum | Plantae |
| Divisio | Magnoliophyta |
| Classis | Magnoliopsida |
| Ordo | Caryophyllales |
| Familia | Cactaceae |
| Genus | Notocactus |
Notocactus is a historical circumscription of a genus of globular to short cylindrical South American cacti long cultivated in horticulture. Originally described by European taxonomists and popularized by collectors and botanical gardens, the group has been treated variously in taxonomic revisions and by plant societies, influencing collections at institutions and trade among nurseries.
Taxonomic history of these cacti involves comparisons among competing authorities such as the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, revisions published in journals like Kew Bulletin and treatment by curators at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Botanical Garden Berlin-Dahlem, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Early descriptions were made by botanists associated with expeditions sponsored by entities including the Royal Horticultural Society and publications in periodicals such as Curtis's Botanical Magazine and works by explorers like Alexander von Humboldt and collectors working with institutions like the Smithsonian Institution. Nomenclatural changes have been debated at meetings of organizations such as the International Organization for Succulent Plant Study and recorded in checklists like those of the New York Botanical Garden and databases maintained by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. These revisions intersect with regional floras from countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and influence entries in compendia like Flora Brasiliensis and monographs issued by university presses.
Plants in this group are characterized by globose to short columnar stems, pronounced ribs, and areoles bearing spines and flowers observed by botanical illustrators at institutions including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Natural History Museum, London. Descriptive treatments in floras and monographs reference morphological characters used by systematists at universities such as University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University Herbaria, and University of Vienna. Flowers are often funnel-shaped and brightly colored, attracting attention from horticultural societies including the American Horticultural Society and exhibitors at venues like the Chelsea Flower Show and Floriade. Fruit and seed morphology have been documented in studies associated with the Smithsonian Institution and herbaria at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle.
Native ranges are primarily in temperate to subtropical regions of South America, with occurrences reported from provinces and regions administered by governments of Rio Grande do Sul, Buenos Aires Province, Córdoba Province, and Mendoza Province. Field studies by teams from institutions such as the University of Buenos Aires, Universidade de São Paulo, and conservation groups like BirdLife International and the Worldwide Fund for Nature document habitats ranging from grassland steppes to rocky outcrops in areas influenced by climatic regimes described in regional assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Specimen records appear in national herbaria such as the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro and collections curated at the Natural History Museum, London.
Pollination ecology involves interactions with faunal elements documented by researchers affiliated with University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and the Max Planck Society, including nectarivorous insects and birds observed in fieldwork coordinated with organizations like the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; seed dispersal studies have been included in projects conducted with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and regional universities. Reproductive biology, including self-compatibility and seed germination, has been examined in theses and articles from institutions such as the University of São Paulo and the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, and cited in handbooks produced by the Royal Horticultural Society and botanical publishers like Timber Press.
Horticultural practice propagated these cacti in collections at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, private estates owned by patrons of the Royal Horticultural Society, and commercial nurseries across regions including Europe, North America, and Japan. Cultural guidance appears in manuals published by the American Cactus and Succulent Society, catalogs from nurseries in Holland and trade expos such as the Tuinbouwbeurs, and horticulturists at institutions like the New York Botanical Garden have exhibited cultivars. Uses are primarily ornamental; specimens are featured in public displays at events like the Chelsea Flower Show and in botanical art commissioned by museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Conservation assessments appear in lists compiled by national agencies of Argentina and Brazil and in global compilations overseen by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and regional NGOs such as the Society for Conservation Biology. Threats include habitat loss from agricultural expansion documented in reports by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and infrastructure projects noted by agencies like the Inter-American Development Bank, as well as illegal collection addressed by law enforcement agencies and customs authorities collaborating with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Ex situ conservation is implemented by botanical gardens such as the Missouri Botanical Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and university seed banks associated with the Global Crop Diversity Trust.