Mammillaria dioica
Mammillaria dioica | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Cactaceae |
Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
Genus: | Mammillaria |
Species: | M. dioica
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Binomial name | |
Mammillaria dioica M.K.Brandegee
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Mammillaria dioica, also called the strawberry cactus, California fishhook cactus, strawberry pincushion or fishhook cactus, is a cactus species of the genus Mammillaria.[1] Its common name in Spanish is biznaga llavina.[2]
Distribution[]
The cactus is found in the western Colorado Desert scrub including in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and in Coastal sage scrub habitats of Southern California; and in coastal chaparral and Sonoran Desert habitats of Baja California and Baja California Sur states on the Baja California Peninsula of México.[3][4] It grows from 10–1,500 feet (3.0–457.2 m) in elevation.
Polyploid wild plants of this species have been found in Mexico. Both tetraploid and hexaploid varieties have been recorded.
Description[]
Mammillaria dioica possesses short, firm tubercles ending in the spines. Most of these spines are whitish and straight, but each tubercle has a longer central spine which is slightly curved and dark.[5]
A single plant can bear both male and female flowers, from mid-spring to mid-summer. Some plants may produce bisexual flowers as well, thus totaling three types of flower on a single plant. The flowers are white to cream in color and range from 10 millimeters (0.4 inch) to 30 millimeters (1.2 inches) in length.[5]
The fruits produced are bright red and ovoid, often with one end thicker than the other and are edible and tastes like a cross between a strawberry and a kiwi. The seeds are small (0.6 to 0.8 millimeters), black, and pitted.[5]
Subspecies[]
Recognized subspecies include:[2]
- Mammillaria dioica subsp dioica
- Mammillaria dioica subsp angelensis
- Mammillaria dioica subsp estebanensis
Uses[]
The Kumeyaay people (Diegueño), of Baja California and Southern California, eat the raw fruits as a food source.[6]
Cultivation[]
Mammillaria dioica is cultivated by specialty cactus plant nurseries and by botanical gardens for plant sales. It requires very well-drained soil, and so is often grown in pots and in raised beds in drought tolerant gardens.[7][8]
References[]
- ^ Calflora: Mammillaria dioica
- ^ Jump up to: a b IUCN Red List: Mammillaria dioica
- ^ efloras.org: Mammillaria dioica distribution map
- ^ Jepson
- ^ Jump up to: a b c efloras.org: Mammillaria dioica
- ^ University of Michigan, Dearborn: Native American Ethnobotany of Mammillaria dioica
- ^ Desert Tropicals.com: cultivation information and synonymy
- ^ PlantFiles.com: cultivation of Mammillaria dioica (Strawberry Cactus)
- U.S. Army Field Manuals: Survival IQ Handbook
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mammillaria dioica. |
- CalFlora Database: Mammillaria dioica (fish hook cactus, strawberry cactus)
- USDA Plants Profile for Mammillaria dioica (strawberry cactus)
- Jepson Manual Treatment of Mammillaria dioica
- efloras.org: Flora of North America: Mammillaria dioica
- Mammillarias.net: Mammillaria dioica
- Mammillaria dioica — CalPhoto gallery
- Mammillaria
- Cacti of Mexico
- Cacti of the United States
- Desert fruits
- Flora of Baja California
- Flora of Baja California Sur
- Flora of California
- Flora of the California desert regions
- Flora of the Sonoran Deserts
- Natural history of the Colorado Desert
- Plants used in Native American cuisine
- Garden plants of North America