Cumulopuntia ignescens

Cushion and armature

The Arequipa revision described cushions up to about 0,5 m tall and 1,5 m in diameter, supported by a thick storage root. Stem segments are ovoid or oblong, green and variably tuberculate. Spines are initially reddish-brown, then turn yellow and grey. Their number varies widely, with nearly spineless individuals present. [Pauca-Tanco and Quipuscoa 2020]

Wysokoandyjskie siedliska

In Arequipa department, the species occurs at 3300–4700 m elevation on open substrates and rocky slopes. Associated plants include Jarava ichu, Parastrephia quadrangularis and small cushion plants. This regional elevation range describes site locations, while thermal conditions also depend on microrelief, exposure and season. [Pauca-Tanco and Quipuscoa 2020]

Flowers and seeds

Day-opening flowers develop near the tip of the stem segment. The perianth is red or red-orange, and fruits are elongated to pear-shaped with armature concentrated mainly in the upper part. Pale seeds are surrounded by a funicular covering with prominent lateral thickenings. [Pauca-Tanco and Quipuscoa 2020]

In the 2024 experiment, seeds from Arequipa were first mechanically scarified. At 18–25°C on 1% agar, in five replicates of 25 seeds, germination after 30 days was 36,0% in the twelve-hour light treatment and 0% in darkness. The result applies to the batch studied and the preparation used. [Jara-Peña et al. 2024, table 2, p. 8]

Names in historical sources

Current synonyms include Cumulopuntia boliviana subsp. ignescens, C. glomerata and Tephrocactus ignescens. Retaining these names when describing older material facilitates comparison of sites and avoids counting the same lineage as several species. [2-WWW]