Mesa Verde cactus
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| Mesa Verde Cactus | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Sclerocactus mesae-verde (Boissev. ex Hill & Salisb.) L.D.Benson |
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Coloradoa mesae-verde Boissev. |
The Mesa Verde cactus (Sclerocactus mesae-verde) is a species of cactus. This species was discovered near Cortez, Colorado by Charles H. Boissevain, and is only known from this state. It was formerly classified in a monotypic genus (Coloradoa).
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[edit] Distribution
It is only found in several stations at the eastern edge of the Navajoan Desert in Montezuma County, Colorado and in San Juan County, New Mexico. All in all, 5 major population groups have been registered, totaling perhaps 4,000 - 10,000 left in the wild. Since 1979 it is officially considered a threatened species in the United States. In the wild, it is found on pulverulent clay soil.
[edit] Description
The species is globulous and singular, but sometimes form clusters up to 15. It reaches 3.5 to 6.2 cm high, rarely higher than 10 cm, and of roughly equal diameter. There are up to 14 spiral-like ribs. The flowers are white to cream-yellow, 3 cm long, 2 cm in diameter and do not open completely. The fruits are green, spherical, with a diameter of 1.25 cm. The fruits become brown with age, and split horizontally. The seeds are black.
[edit] Conservation
As with many slowly maturing desert cacti, the Mesa Verde Cactus has been subjected to over-harvesting and poaching, contributing to its decline in the wild. Among the cacti, it is particularly sensitive to the effects of poaching due to its small population size, limited range, and low reproductive success rate. The Mesa Verde Cactus is also entirely intolerant to transplantation, and nearly all poached specimens eventually die of shock.
