Accepted Scientific Name: Escobaria vivipara (Nutt.) Buxb.
Oesterr. Bot. Z. 98: 78. 1951 as vivipera
Mammillaria radiosa var. vivipara (Escobaria vivipara) Photo by: Colin Bundred
The plant was collected at the northern tip of its range in Drumheller Alberta Canada, were it occurs both as single plants and less frequently, small clumps. It has proven perfectly hardy in gardens even further north, in and around Edmonton.
Origin and Habitat: This widespread species occurs in Canada (Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan), United States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming) and in Mexico (states of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Sonora).
Altitude range: It occurs at elevations ranging from 180 meters in var. radiosa to 2,700 meters in var. rosea.
Habitat and Ecology: This cactus occurs in dry valleys, plains and foothills; on open, gentle to steep rocky slopes and flats, with sagebrush or conifer species and grasslands. Different varieties occur in grasslands, woodlands, montane forests, or deserts. Escobaria viviparaSN|9953]]SN|9953]] has a very wide range, is abundant, and there are no threats.
More...Synonyms:
See all synonyms of Escobaria vivipara
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Accepted name in llifle Database:Escobaria vivipara (Nutt.) Buxb.Oesterr. Bot. Z. 98: 78. 1951 as viviperaSynonymy: 60
Accepted name in llifle Database:Escobaria vivipara var. deserti (Engelm. in W.H.Brewer & S.Watson) W.T.MarshallDesert. Bot. Gard. Arizona, Sci. Bull. 1: 94. 1950Synonymy: 16
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Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Beehive Cactus, Arizona Beehave, Bisbee Beehave Cactus, Biscuit Cactus, Desert Beehave Cactus, Desert Cactus, Foxtail Cactus, Hens and Chichens, Kaibab Beahave kactus, Rose Beehave Cactus, Showy Pincushion, Spiny Star Cactus, Pincushion Cactus, Spinystar
SPANISH (Español): Estrella de la Tarde
Description: Escobaria viviparaSN|9953]]SN|9953]] is a small solitary or clumping cactus. Some varieties form colonies of over 200 stems. This species is the most widespread, abundant and variable member of the genus. It is densely covered in a mat of star-shaped arrays of spines.
Stems: Usually more than 1/2 above ground (sometimes deep-seated and flat-topped in winter, in cold climates and/or in immaturity), spheric, ovoid, obovoid, or cylindric with age, 2.5-75 × 3-11 cm tall.
Tubercles: Grooved, 8-25 × 3-8 mm, stiff or ± flaccid; areolar glands absent.
Roots: ± diffuse, less than 1/4 of stem diameter.
Spines: 11-55 per areole; either bright white, ashy white, pale tan, pale pinkish grey, or reddish brown (rarely straw-yellow), tips dark bright pinkish brown, reddish brown, dark brown, orange-brown, or pinkish orange, purplish gray, pinkish gray, brownish red, sepia dark purplish brown, or stramineous, opaque or vitreous, fading, then blackening with age (dark tips rarely absent).
Radial spines: 10-40 per areole, weakly appressed or tightly appressed, pectinately arranged in subadults of some populations, 7-22 mm long. Subcentral spines are sometimes present.
Central spines: Straight; outer central spines 3-14 per areole; appressed or strongly projecting, in "bird’s-foot" arrangement or radiating like spokes, longest spines 9-25 mm.
Flowers: Subapical, 20-65(-90?) mm long; outer tepals conspicuously fringed; pale rose-pink to reddish pink or magenta (or rarely yellow or green) , sometimes with darker midstripes, sometimes shading to white or pale green,
Fruits: Green, exposed portions slowly turning dull brownish red, ovoid to obovoid, 12-28 × 7-20 mm, juicy; floral remnant persistent.
Seeds: bright reddish brown, comma-shaped or nearly obovoid, (1-)1.3-2.4(-3) mm.
Blooming season: Spring-late summer; fruiting 2-5 months after flowering.
More...Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Escobaria vivipara group
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
2) Terry, M., Heil, K. & Corral-Díaz, R. 2013. Escobaria vivipara. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 13 June 2015.
3) 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
4) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
5) Castetter, E.F., P. Pierce and K.H. Schwerin. “Reassessment of the genus Escobaria.” Cactus and Succulent Journal (US) 47(2):60-70.1975.
6) Leo J. Chance “Cacti and Succulents for Cold Climates: 274 Outstanding Species for Challenging Conditions” Timber Press, 19/giu/2012
7) N. L. Britton, J. N. Rose “The Cactaceae. Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family.” Volume 4, The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington 1923
8) Flora of North America Editorial Committee. “Flora of North America, volume 4.” Oxford University Press, New York.2003.
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Mammillaria radiosa var. vivipara (Escobaria vivipara) Photo by: Cactus Art
Mammillaria radiosa var. vivipara (Escobaria vivipara) Photo by: Cactus Art
Mammillaria radiosa var. vivipara (Escobaria vivipara) Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
Mammillaria radiosa var. vivipara (Escobaria vivipara) Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
Mammillaria radiosa var. vivipara (Escobaria vivipara) Photo by: Cactus Art
JRT1112 Fremont Co., Colorado, USA. (Escobaria vivipara) Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
RP113 FT Union New Mexico. (Escobaria vivipara) Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
Mammillaria radiosa var. vivipara (Escobaria vivipara) Photo by: Cactus ArtCultivation and Propagation: It comes from an area of summer rainfall. Keep drier in winter (but for outdoor cultivation it is very resistant to wet conditions, too). It needs good drainage. Very cold resistant, but the frost resistance varies a lot from clone to clone. It can easily be grown outdoors in areas with minimum winter temperatures of -15 -25° (but northern populations from Canada are resistant to -35 -45°C). It needs full sun to light shade.
Propagation: Seeds (no dormancy requirement, they germinate best at 25°C) or by offsets (if available), or occasionally grafted.
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