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Echinocactus rhodophthalmus Hook.
Bot. Mag. 76: t. 4486. 1850
Family: CACTACEAE

Accepted Scientific Name: Thelocactus bicolor (Galeotti ex Pfeiff.) Britton & Rose
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 49: 251. 1922

Echinocactus rhodophthalmus (Thelocactus bicolor) Photo by: Peiffer Clement

Synonyms:

See all synonyms of Thelocactus bicolor
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Accepted name in llifle Database:
Thelocactus bicolor (Galeotti ex Pfeiff.) Britton & Rose
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 49: 251. 1922
Synonymy: 20 Accepted name in llifle Database:
Thelocactus bicolor subs. bolaensis (C.Runge) Doweld
Sukkulenty 1(2): 30, 1999 ( bolansis )
Synonymy: 13 Accepted name in llifle Database:
Thelocactus bicolor subs. flavidispinus (Backeb.) N.P.Taylor
Cactaceae Consensus Init. 5: 14. 1998
Synonymy: 4 Accepted name in llifle Database:
Thelocactus bicolor subs. heterochromus (F.A.C.Weber) Mosco & Zanov.
Bradleya 18: 62 (2000)
Synonymy: 11 Accepted name in llifle Database:
Thelocactus bicolor subs. schwarzii (Backeb.) N.P.Taylor
Cactaceae Consensus Init. 5: 14. 1998
Synonymy: 4 Cultivars (2):
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Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Glory of Texas, Texas Pride, Straw Spine Cactus
SPANISH (Español): Biznaga pezón bicolor

Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Thelocactus bicolor group

  • Thelocactus bicolor (Galeotti ex Pfeiff.) Britton & Rose: (subsp. bicolor) has extremely variable spination, 1-4 central spines, 8-15 radials, and usually bicolored flowers; Distribution: Chihuahuan Desert of Texas and Mexico and in the Tamaulipan thorn shrub vegetation along the Rio Grande.
  • Thelocactus bicolor subs. bolaensis (C.Runge) Doweld: has dense, strong, and white spination. Distribution: Sierra Bola in Coahuila
  • Thelocactus bicolor var. commodus R.Haas: It has been described as having only one central spine, but there are 2 upper central spines so appressed to the stem that they can be easily mistaken for radials. Therefore it has three central spines and its maintenance at variety rank is not justified. Distribution: near Montemorelos, Tamaulipas, outside the limits of the Chihuahuan Desert.
  • Thelocactus bicolor subs. flavidispinus (Backeb.) N.P.Taylor: has spines covering the entire plant, 3 central spines, 12-17 radials, and (usually) bicolored flowers; Distribution: Chihuahuan Desert vegetation in Texas and, possibly, neighboring Mexico.
  • Thelocactus bicolor subs. heterochromus (F.A.C.Weber) Mosco & Zanov.: has stems with wider ribs and stouter, subulate, spines banded in red. Distribution: Coahuila and Durango (This is the westernmost taxon in the genus)
  • Thelocactus bicolor var. pottsii (Schur ex Salm-Dyck) Backeb.: intermediate plants between heterochromus and bicolor, but definitely belong to heterochromus for their lack of areolar glands. Distribution: Chihuahua
  • Thelocactus bicolor var. schottii (Engelm.) Krainz in Krainz: It is characterized by a very long, papery upper spine. Distribution: Big Bend area
  • Thelocactus bicolor subs. schwarzii (Backeb.) N.P.Taylor: has no central spines (may however appear sporadically), 13-14 radials, and tricolored flowers. Distribution: Tamaulipas east of the Sierra Madre Oriental.
  • Thelocactus bicolor subs. swobodae Halda & Horáček
  • Thelocactus bicolor var. texensis Backeb.: Texensis is an invalid name published by Backeberg applying to a Texas form.
  • Thelocactus bicolor var. tricolor (K.Schum.) F.M.Knuth in Backeb. & F.M.Knuth: it is a form with bright red spines. Distribution: Saltillo, Coahuila.
  • Thelocactus bicolor var. wagnerianus (A.Berger) Krainz in Krainz: it is differentiated from Thelocactus bolaensis for its columnar stem, the reddish spines and the lack of flattened spines. Distribution: west of Saltillo, Coahuila
  • Thelocactus bicolor subs. zwakii Chvastek & Halda: it has smaller stem and flowers . It is not sufficiently distinct to deserve a subspecies rank. Distribution: Castanos in Coahuila.
  • Thelocactus bicolor cv. albiflorus: white flowering form. Garden origin.
  • Thelocactus bicolor cv. inermis: Spineless cultivar with flamboyant jagged flowers.
  • Thelocactus heterochromus longispinus

7152 valentino Valentino Vallicelli
Echinocactus rhodophthalmus (Thelocactus bicolor) Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
23881 carolina Carolina González
Echinocactus rhodophthalmus (Thelocactus bicolor) Photo by: Carolina González

7423 valentino Valentino Vallicelli
Echinocactus rhodophthalmus (Thelocactus bicolor) Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
27934 carolina Carolina González
Echinocactus rhodophthalmus (Thelocactus bicolor) Photo by: Carolina González

7151 valentino Valentino Vallicelli
- it is Common in cultivation due to its ease of cultivation and the beautiful flowers freely produced. (Thelocactus bicolor) Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
25767 carolina Carolina González
Echinocactus rhodophthalmus (Thelocactus bicolor) Photo by: Carolina González

23948 carolina Carolina González
Echinocactus rhodophthalmus (Thelocactus bicolor) Photo by: Carolina González
24809 colin Colin Bundred
An unusual Thelocactus bicolor with a very pale pink flower. (Thelocactus bicolor) Photo by: Colin Bundred

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by Valentino Vallicelli

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