Matucana

This article is about the genus. For the town, see: Matucana, Peru

Matucana
Matucana pujupatii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Tribe:	Trichocereeae
Genus:	Matucana Britton & Rose
Species
See text.

Matucana is a genus of cacti (family Cactaceae), containing approximately 20 species of mostly globular plants. The genus is only known from Peru, mostly along the Marañón River.

The first species was discovered near the town of Matucana and described as Echinocactus haynii by Otto in 1849. Matucana was erected by Britton & Rose in 1922. The genus Eomatucana F.Ritter has been brought into synonymy with this genus.

Matucana is rarely cultivated. Yet some species are endangered due to collection for the specialist market.

Description

Low, globose or shortly cylindrical bodies, either solitary or clustering. The flowers are subapical, more or less zygomorphic, diurnal, in various colours, but mainly red, yellow or pink.

References

Bregman, Rob: The Genus Matucana. Biology and systematics of fascinating Peruvian cacti. A.A.Balkema 1996.