Cochemiea dioica
| Cochemiea dioica | |
|---|---|
| File:Mammillariadioica1.jpg | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Genus: | Cochemiea |
| Species: | C. dioica
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cochemiea dioica (K.Brandegee) Doweld
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Cochemiea dioica, also called the strawberry cactus, California fishhook cactus, strawberry pincushion or fishhook cactus, is a cactus species of the genus Cochemiea.[3] Its common name in Spanish is biznaga llavina.[4] Temperature along with precipitation are consequential factors in distributing plant species.[5]
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.[6][7] 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
Cochemiea 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.[8] 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.[8]
Uses
The Kumeyaay people (Diegueño), of Baja California and Southern California, eat the raw fruits as a food source.[9]
Cultivation
Cochemiea 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.[10][11]
References
- ↑ "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010-05-12. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ↑ "Cochemiea dioica (K.Brandegee) Doweld". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ↑ Calflora: Mammillaria dioica
- ↑ IUCN Red List: Mammillaria dioica
- ↑ Guisan, Antoine; Thuiller, Wilfried (September 2005). "Predicting species distribution: offering more than simple habitat models". Ecology Letters. 8 (9): 993–1009. Bibcode:2005EcolL...8..993G. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2005.00792.x. ISSN 1461-023X. PMID 34517687.
- ↑ efloras.org: Mammillaria dioica distribution map
- ↑ Jepson
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 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)
External links
- 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 galleryError: "Q143427" is not a valid Wikidata entity ID.
- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Cochemiea
- 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