Ferocactus

Ferocactus

Content

• Synonymy
• Notes

Synonymy

Ferocactus Britton & Rose, Cactaceae 3: 123. 1922 sec. Vázquez-Sánchez & al. (2013)

• Type: Ferocactus wislizeni (Engelm.) Britton & Rose

• =Bisnaga Orcutt in Cactography 1. 1926 syn. sec. Hunt (2006)
• Type: Bisnaga cornigera (DC.) Orcutt

• =Ferocactus sect. Bisnaga (Orcutt) N.P.Taylor & J.Y.Clark in Bradleya 1: 6. 1983 syn. sec. Vázquez-Sánchez & al. (2013)

Notes

Vázquez-Sánchez & al. (2013) found Ferocactus in its current circumscription to be vastly polyphyletic, and the same is true for sect. Bisnaga. The Ferocactus clade found by Vázquez-Sánchez & al. (2013) also includes the genera Leuchtenbergia, Glandulicactus, Stenocactus and Thelocactus, corroborating the results of a much less dense sampling by Hernández-Hernández & al. (2011). The Ferocactus clade is morphologically characterized by pericarpels with scales and ribbed stems, and Vázquez-Sánchez & al. (2013) suggested expanding Ferocactus to embrace the genera just mentioned is the best taxonomic solution to make Ferocactus monophyletic, yet Leuchtenbergia is the oldest name of this assemblage and would have priority, unless the name Ferocactus is conserved.