Astrophytum

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Orthokaryota
Cladus: Neokaryota
Cladus: Photokaryota
Cladus: Diaphoretickes
Cladus: CAM
Regnum*: Archaeplastida
Regnum: Plantae
Regnum*: Viridiplantae
Cladus: Streptophyta
Cladus: Phragmoplastophyta
Cladus: Embryophyta
Cladus: Polysporangiophyta
Divisio*: Tracheophyta
Cladus: Eutracheophyta
Cladus: Euphyllophytina
Cladus: Megaphylla
Cladus: Radiatopses
Cladus: Lignophyta
Cladus: Metalignophyta
Diviso*: Spermatophyta
Classis*: Angiospermae
Cladus: Mesangiospermae
Cladus: Eudicota
Cladus: Core eudicots
Ordo: Caryophyllales

Familia: Cactaceae
Subfamilia: Cactoideae
Tribus: Cacteae
Genus: Astrophytum
Subgenera: A. subg. Astrophytum – A. subg. Stigmatodactylus
Species: A. asterias - A. capricorne – A. caput-medusae – A. coahuilense – A. myriostigma - A. ornatum

Name

Astrophytum Lem., Cact. Gen. Sp. Nov. 3. 1839.

Type species: Astrophytum myriostigma Lem.

Synonyms

Maierocactus E.C.Rost in Z. Sukkulentenk. 2(8): 138-142. 1925 syn. sec. POWO. Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Type: Maierocactus capricornis (A.Dietr.) E.C.Rost
Digitostigma Velazco & Nevárez in Cact. Suc. Mex. 47: 79. 2002, nom. inval., syn. sec. Vázquez-Lobo & al. 2015
Type: Digitostigma caput-medusae Velazco & Nevárez

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Northern America
Regional: Mexico
Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast
Regional: Southern Central USA
Texas

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Lemaire, C., 1839. Cact. Gen. Sp. Nov. 3.

Doweld, A.B. 2000. Nomenclatural adjustments in Cacteae (Cactoideae–Cactaceae), II. Sukkulenty 3(1–2): 36–43. Reference page.

Additional references

Korotkova, N., Aquino, D., Arias, S., Eggli, U., Franck, A. , Gómez-Hinostrosa, C., Guerrero, P.C., Hernández, H.M., Kohlbecker, A., Köhler, M., Luther, K., Majure, L.C., Müller, A., Metzing, D., Nyffeler, R., Sánchez, D., Schlumpberger, B. & Berendsohn, W.G. 2021. Cactaceae at Caryophyllales. org–a dynamic online species-level taxonomic backbone for the family. Willdenowia 51(2): 251–270. DOI: 10.3372/wi.51.51208 Open access Reference page.
Vázquez-Lobo, A., Morales, G.A., Arias, S., Golubov, J., Hernández-Hernández, T. & Mandujano, M.C. 2015. Phylogeny and Biogeographic History of Astrophytum (Cactaceae). Systematic Botany 40(4): 1022–1030. DOI: 10.1600/036364415X690094 Paywall ResearchGate Reference page.

Links

Kleszewski, K.P. (2001) Die Gattung Astrophytum. Accessed: 2010 Mar 04.
Korotkova, N. et al. 2021. Astrophytum in Cactaceae at Caryophyllales.org. A global synthesis of species diversity in the angiosperm order Caryophyllales. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Nov 12. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Astrophytum. Published online. Accessed: Jul 13 2019. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Astrophytum in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2019 Jul 13. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2019. Astrophytum. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 13 Jul 2019.

Vernacular names
suomi: Piispanhatut
日本語: アストロフィツム属
svenska: Prickkaktussläktet

Astrophytum is a genus of six species of cacti, native to North America.[2]

These species are sometimes referred to as living rocks, though the term is also used for other genera, particularly Lithops (Aizoaceae). The generic name is derived from the Greek words άστρον (astron), meaning "star," and φυτόν (phyton), meaning "plant."
Description

The species of the genus Astrophytum usually grow individually with spherical to columnar green shoots and reach heights of up to 1.5 meters. The shoots are often densely covered with fine white tufts of hair, but sometimes they are completely bald. There are 4-10 (rarely 3) very noticeable ribs that are not divided into cusps. The large areoles stand close together, but do not merge. The spike is variable. Spines may be present or may be missing entirely.

The funnel-shaped, large flowers are yellow or yellow with a red throat. They appear at the top of the shoots and open during the day. The pericarpel is covered with pointed scales. The cap-shaped seeds have a diameter of up to 2.5 millimeters with a brownish black seed coat which is almost smooth. The edge is rolled towards the sunken hilum.
Species

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Astrophytum asterias (Zucc.) Lem.	Sand dollar cactus, sea urchin cactus, star peyote	small parts of Texas in the United States and Mexico.
	Astrophytum capricorne (A.Dietr.) Britton & Rose	Goat's horn cactus	Coahuila regions of Northern Mexico.
	Astrophytum caput-medusae D.R.Hunt		Nuevo León, Mexico
	Astrophytum coahuilense (H.Moeller) Kanfer		Coahuila and Durango, Mexico
	Astrophytum myriostigma Lem.	Bishop's cap cactus, bishop's hat, bishop's mitre cactus	northeastern and central Mexico.
	Astrophytum ornatum (DC.) Britton & Rose – Monk's hood[2]	bishop's cap or monk's hood cactus	Central Plateau of Mexico.

Synonymy

The genus has several synonyms:

Astrophyton Lawr., orth. var.
Digitostigma Velazco & Nevárez
Maierocactus E.C.Rost[1]

There are a number of species synonyms sometimes seen:

Name	Synonym of
Astrophytum columnare	Astrophytum myriostigma
Astrophytum crassispinoides	Astrophytum capricorne var. crassispinoides
Astrophytum glabrescens	Astrophytum ornatum
Astrophytum niveum	Astrophytum capricorne var. niveum
Astrophytum nuda	Astrophytum myriostigma var. nudum
Astrophytum prismaticum	Astrophytum myriostigma
Astrophytum senile	Astrophytum capricorne
Astrophytum tulense	Astrophytum myriostigma

References

"Astrophytum asterias (Zucc.) Lem". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2004-02-23. Retrieved 2010-08-08.

"Species Records of Astrophytum". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-08-08.

"Astrophytum". cactiguide.com. Retrieved July 28, 2005.
"The genus Astrophytum Lem."
"The genus Astrophytum"
"Desert Tropicals - Astrophytum" Archived 2020-01-18 at the Wayback Machine
"Astromaniacs". A German / English worldwide forum for fans of Astrophytum