When Glass and Foster revised the genus Turbinicarpus in 1977 (C&SJ 49(4): 161-176.) they noted the many similarities in “distribution, habit and appearance, of flower, fruit, dehiscence of seed” with plants in the genus Gymnocactus as potential justification for including the latter in an expanded genus Turbinicarpus. They deferred that decision until further “cytological, chemo-taxonomical and pollen studies give more hints as to whether or not this genus should be united with Turbinicarpus”. That data is now in, including cladistic analysis of chloroplast DNA, morphology and other characters, explaining the more inclusive treatment in Anderson’s Cactaceae and Hunt’s The New Cactus Lexicon. That brings us to Turbinicarpus beguinii, which is of the Gymnocactus affinity but was never formally transferred to that genus. Despite its convoluted taxonomic history, we can enjoy Turbinicarpus beguinii for its white to golden radial spines, straight, dark-tipped centrals, wooly apical areoles and magenta flowers. We offer plants from controlled pollination of E. F. Anderson 5030 from south of Vega, Coahuila, Mexico. HBG 97078, $6.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 82 (2), March - April, 2010