Researcher, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and Associate Professor of Botany, Claremont Graduate University
Reference for:
Sclerocactus
Source(s):
Source:
NODC Taxonomic Code
Acquired:
1996-07-29
Notes:
Reference for:
Sclerocactus
Source:
The PLANTS Database
Acquired:
1996-07-26
Notes:
National Plant Data Center, NRCS, USDA. Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. http://plants.usda.gov
Reference for:
Sclerocactus
Source:
The PLANTS Database
Acquired:
2000-01-21
Notes:
National Plant Data Center, NRCS, USDA. Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. http://plants.usda.gov
Reference for:
Sclerocactus
Publication(s):
Author(s)/Editor(s):
Hunt, David
Publication Date (Listed/Actual):
2006-05-01 / 2006-05-01
Article/Chapter Title:
Journal/Book Name, Vol. No.:
The New Cactus Lexicon: Text
Page(s):
x + 373
Publisher:
dh books
Publication Place:
Milborne Port, England
ISBN/ISSN:
0-9538134-5-2/
Notes:
Reference for:
Sclerocactus
Author(s)/Editor(s):
Benson, Lyman
Publication Date (Listed/Actual):
1982-01-01 / 1982-01-01
Article/Chapter Title:
Journal/Book Name, Vol. No.:
The Cacti of the United States and Canada
Page(s):
ix + 1044
Publisher:
Stanford University Press
Publication Place:
Stanford, California, USA
ISBN/ISSN:
0-8047-0863-0/
Notes:
Reference for:
Sclerocactus
Sclerocactus: Geographic Information
Geographic Division:
Jurisdiction/Origin:
Sclerocactus: Comments
Comment:
Current evidence supports the following taxa as monophyletic group: Sclerocactus in the narrow (traditional) sense, species formerly included in Echinomastus (some of them treated as Neolloydia by Benson 1982) and species formerly included in Ancistrocactus. It is true Sclerocactus subgenus Ancistrocactus is the sister lineage to Sclerocactus subgenus Sclerocactus (Echinomastus + Sclerocactus). If there were profound morphological differences (and synapomorphies) for these two lineages, one might argue that treating them at the rank of genus is appropriate. However, there are no such traits. In fact, the trait used by Benson (1982) to distinguish Ancistrocactus from Sclerocactus - the felted adaxial areolar groove - is present in both genera. Therefore, there does not seem to be justification from either molecular data or morphology to segregate the two genera (Sclerocactus and Ancistrocactus)