Description
Echinopsis macrogona is a species of cactus in the family Cactaceae, originally described by the German botanist Joseph Franz Maria Anton Hubert Ignatius Salm-Dyck in 1845. Here is a brief description of the species and its taxonomy.
Description:
Echinopsis macrogona is a columnar cactus that can grow up to 3 meters (10 feet) tall and 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter. It has 6-8 ribs that are covered in small areoles with spines that range from yellow to brown in color. The flowers of E. macrogona are large and white, and they bloom at night.
Taxonomy:
Echinopsis macrogona has a somewhat complicated taxonomic history. The species was originally described by Salm-Dyck in 1845 as Cereus macrogona, but it was later reclassified as Echinopsis macrogona. In recent years, some taxonomists have suggested that E. macrogona may be a synonym of Trichocereus macrogonus, while others maintain that it is a distinct species.
Sources:
- Anderson, E. F. (2001). The Cactus Family. Timber Press.
- Hunt, D., Taylor, N. P., & Charles, G. (2006). The New Cactus Lexicon (Vol. 1). DH Books.
- Salm-Dyck, J. zu. (1845). Cereus macrogona. Cacteae in Horto Dyckensi cultae anno 1844 additis descriptionibus nonnullis specierum novarum. Bonn.