young shoot icon Home All plants About

Echinocactus platyacanthus Link & Otto

Cactus (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Caryophyllales > Cactaceae > Echinocactus

Characteristics

A cactus. It grows 2.4 m tall and spreads 90 cm wide. It has a single stem. It is round when young but then grows like a tall column. It has up to 60 ribs. These have strong spines along them. The spines are 8 cm long. The flowers are yellow-green and 5 cm long by 8 cm across. The fruit are oblong and yellowish. They are 5-7 cm long.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.9
Mature height (meter) 2.0 - 2.4
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway cam

Environment

It grows best in light to medium, well-drained soils. It needs an open sunny position. It is resistant to frost and drought. It suits hardiness zones 9-11. Brisbane Botanical gardens.
More
Xerophyllous scrub, preferring calcareous soils; at elevations from 1,100-2,400 metres.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 1-3
Soil texture 5-6
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-11

Usage

The candied pulp of the stems is eaten as a sweet or used to flavour meat or desserts. The stem is cut into pieces and boiled with sugar until it crystallizes. This is then eaten or added to pastries and cakes. The cut pieces are often allowed to dry for 2 days.
Uses animal food environmental use fiber food medicinal
Edible flowers fruits stems
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by seeds or by division.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Echinocactus platyacanthus unspecified picture
Echinocactus platyacanthus unspecified picture

Distribution

Echinocactus platyacanthus world distribution map, present in Mexico

Conservation status

Echinocactus platyacanthus threat status: Near Threatened

Identifiers

LSID -
WFO ID wfo-0000660808
COL ID 38GHL
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Echinocactus grandis f. polycormus Echinocactus ingens f. aulocogonus Echinocactus minax Melocactus tuberculatus Echinocactus platyacanthus f. grandis Melocactus platyacanthus Copiapoa macracantha Echinocactus arachnoideus Echinocactus ingens Echinocactus karwinskii Echinocactus oligacanthus Echinocactus palmeri Echinocactus platyacanthus Echinocactus saltillensis Echinocactus aulacogonus Echinocactus ghiesbreghtianus Echinocactus grandis Echinocactus helophorus Echinocactus irroratus Echinocactus macracanthus Echinocactus macracanthus Echinocactus tuberculatus Echinocactus viznaga Echinofossulocactus helophorus Echinofossulocactus karwinskianus Echinofossulocactus platyceras Echinocactus karwinskianus Echinocactus visnaga Echinocactus edulis Echinocactus oligacanthus Echinocactus platyacanthus f. visnaga Echinocactus platyceras Coryphantha poselgeriana var. saltillensis Echinocactus aulacogonus var. diacopaulax Echinocactus grandis subsp. polycormus Echinocactus helophorus var. laevior Echinocactus helophorus var. longifossulatus Echinocactus ingens var. helophorus Echinocactus ingens var. saltillensis Echinocactus ingens var. subinermis Echinocactus ingens var. viznaga Echinocactus platyacanthus var. palmeri Echinocactus tuberculatus var. spiralis Echinocactus ingens var. grandis Echinocactus platyceras var. laevior Echinocactus platyceras var. minax Echinocactus minax var. laevior Echinocactus ingens f. helophorus Echinocactus ingens f. saltillensis Echinocactus ingens f. viznaga Melocactus ingens
WorldFloraDB 2024