Leuchtenbergia

Agave cactus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Tribe:	Cacteae
Genus:	Leuchtenbergia; Hook.
Species:	L. principis
Binomial name
	Leuchtenbergia principis; Hook.

Leuchtenbergia is a genus of cactus which has only one species, Leuchtenbergia principis (agave cactus or prism cactus). It is native to north-central Mexico (San Luis Potosi, Chihuahua). The genus is named after Maximilian Eugen Joseph (1817–1852), Duke of Leuchtenberg and amateur botanist.

It is very slow-growing but can eventually grow up to 70 cm high, with a cylindrical stem which becomes bare and corky at the base with age. It has long, slender, grayish-green tubercles 6–12 cm long, with purplish-red blotches at their tips. The tubercles are topped with papery spines, making the plant resemble an agave; old, basal tubercles dry up and fall off. After four years or so, yellow, funnel-shaped flowers 5–6 cm diameter may be borne at the tubercle tips. The fruit is smooth and green, 3 cm long and 2 cm broad. It has a large, tuberous taproot.

Taxonomy[]

It is related to the genus Ferocactus, and hybrids have been created between these two genera.

Leuchtenbergia principis
Leuchtenbergia principis seen from above
The flower
The fruit
Seeds

References[]

Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.