= Coryphantha elephantidens subs. sulcolanata (Lem.) hort., nov. comb. ined.
Accepted Scientific Name: Coryphantha elephantidens (Lem.) Lem.
Cactées 35. 1868
Cactus sulcolanatus (Coryphantha elephantidens subs. sulcolanata) Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
It is very similar (if not the same plant) to C. elephantidens but the flowers are always yellow and never pink.
Origin and Habitat: Mexico (Hidalgo, Vera Cruz, and Oaxaca)
Synonyms:
See all synonyms of Coryphantha elephantidens
Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Elephant Tooth
Description: Large, depressed-globular cactus, often clumping and group-forming
Stem: Each head is 5-8 cm tall and 6 to 10(-18) cm in diameter depressed globose often flattened apically.
Tubercles: Very large, shiny green, 20-30 (60) mm wide, rounded on top, pentaedrical at the base, always broader than rounded , without glands, the tubercles axil and furrow is densely woolly.
Central spines: Absent.
Radial spines: 5 to 9 unequal, upper and lower one short, laterals longer, stout, reflexed, 12-26 mm long never porrect, but adpressed to the body. Yellowish white with dark tips at first, later darker.
Flowers: Sweet smelling large 4 to 8 cm creamy- yellow, Stamens yellow to purple.
Blooming season: Produced in late summer to autumn.
Fruits: Very big, oblong, opaque green, juicy, (ca. 4 cm long, 1 cm diameter)
More...Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Coryphantha elephantidens group
Coryphantha elephantidens (Lem.) Lem.: Large, depressed-globular cactus, often clumping with large dark-green tubercles rounded on top, the tubercles axil is very woolly. The radial spines are stout reflexed and adpressed to the body. Flowers whitish, yellow or pink.- Coryphantha elephantidens f. aurea hort.: Mutant lacking chlorophyll pigment. The result is a completely cream-yellow or golden-yellow plant.
- Coryphantha elephantidens var. barciae L.Bremer: It has a big tap-root. Parastichy number 8/13.
- Coryphantha elephantidens subs. bumamma (Ehrenb.) Dicht & A.Lüthy: Strongly offsetting species forming large groups up to 50 cm in diameter. Stem glaucous green. It is very similar to Coryphantha elephantidens but the flower are much smaller and nearly yellow.
- Coryphantha elephantidens subs. greenwoodii (Bravo) Dicht & A.Lüthy: Solitary or group-forming, flat-globose mostly under the ground-level, intermediate between Coriphantha elepantidens and Coriphantha pycnacantha.
- Coryphantha elephantidens var. recurvispina (de Vriese) hort., nov. comb. ined.: Solitary, depressed, about 16 cm. in diameter, tubercles few, large, glaucous, obtuse; areoles and axils naked ; spines all radial, 8 more or less incurved. ( = Coryphantha elephantidens)
- Coryphantha elephantidens var. roseiflora Y.Itô: Pink flowering form.
- Coryphantha elephantidens subs. sulcolanata (Lem.) hort., nov. comb. ined.: Very similar (if not the same plant) to Coryphantha elephantidens but the flowers are always yellow and never pink. Origin: Hidalgo.
- Coryphantha elephantidens f. variegata hort.: Variegated form. The stems have sectors, patches or stripes with two colours, yellow and green. There are several forms of variegation.
- Coryphantha elephantidens cv. Tanshi Zougemaru: Cultivar with short but strong spines and very large tubercles. Flowers pink. Origin: Japan.
- Coryphantha elephantidens cv. Tanshi Zougemaru inermis
- Coryphantha garessii L.Bremer: Probable synonym of Coryphantha elephantides. Origin: Zacatecas
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
2) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey "The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass" Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
3) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
4) Hernández, H.M., Gómez-Hinostrosa, C., Guadalupe Martínez, J., Sánchez , E., Dicht, R.F. & Lüthy, A.D. 2013. Coryphantha elephantidens. In: IUCN 2013. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species." Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 17 February 2014.
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Cactus sulcolanatus (Coryphantha elephantidens subs. sulcolanata) Photo by: Cactus Art
Cactus sulcolanatus (Coryphantha elephantidens subs. sulcolanata) Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
Cactus sulcolanatus (Coryphantha elephantidens subs. sulcolanata) Photo by: Cactus Art
Cactus sulcolanatus (Coryphantha elephantidens subs. sulcolanata) Photo by: Andrea B.
Cactus sulcolanatus (Coryphantha elephantidens subs. sulcolanata) Photo by: Cactus Art
Cactus sulcolanatus (Coryphantha elephantidens subs. sulcolanata) Photo by: Cactus ArtCultivation and Propagation: Full sun to light shade in summer. Water sparingly, keep drier in winter. Needs good drainage. Frost Tolerance: Hardy to -3°C.
Propagation: Offsets as it is a suckering cactus or by seeds.
