Echinocactus platyacanthus is a species of cactus belonging to the Cactaceae family and is endemic to Mexico. It is also known as sweet or barrel biznaga, and Metztitlán canyon. It is one of the most abundant cacti, they are representative and are present in much of the Mexican territory.
The Equinocactus platyacanthus is a globular cactus that can have a height of 2 m and a diameter of 1.2 m. It is an endemic species of Mexico and is found between 1100 and 2400 meters above sea level.
Echinocactus platyacanthus. Raffi Kojian
This cactus is distributed discontinuously, but its populations are not very isolated. It is located in the Chihuahuan desert of Coahuila, Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Nuevo León, San Luis, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas, Potosí, and Querétaro; Furthermore, this species of cactus is very common in the Tehuacán Valley, Puebla and Oaxaca.
Many species that are threatened with extinction appear on the IUCN Red List, and the sweet biznaga is one of them.
In Mexico, this plant is protected by NOM-059-SEMAR-NAT-2010 in the condition of special protection, since it is a species that is extracted from nature without any control for different purposes. Other researchers have classified it as a threatened species (category 4), and others as a vulnerable species.
characteristics
- Species: E. platyacanthus.
Applications
The Echinocactus platyacanthus is one of the most economically important species in Mexico. In pre-Columbian times these plants were sacred cacti used on altars during human sacrifices, and also served as food and medicine.
Today these cacti are used for ornamental purposes and to make products in confectioneries. In addition, previously, even the apical clothing (wool) of this cactus was used as filler after being spun.
The Echinocactus is a cactus seriously threatened by the great exploitation of its populations to make the traditional sweet known as acitrón or biznaga. This plant is also used as fodder for donkeys and goats.
In addition to these uses, Echinocactus individuals are at risk of mortality due to the mechanical damage they suffer at the time of extraction (trampling), especially plants that measure less than 5 cm, and plants that are greater than 40 cm they are intentionally damaged with instruments such as the machete, which expose the plant tissue for later consumption by goats and sheep.
Also, cattle cause soil disturbance, which leads to the destruction of their microhabitat.
16-day-old seedlings of E. platyacanthus. Source: Wikimedia Commons
In this sense, the impact of man is the main factor that increases the vulnerability of this species. This is increased by the extraction of plants in the adult stage, since they cannot be replaced in the short term because they have a very slow growth, thus affecting their population structure in ecological terms.
Due to this, it is recommended to use propagation techniques to counteract the danger of extinction.
References
- Castañeda-Romero, M., Luna-Contreras, M., Vela-Godinez, D., Montoya-Santiago, G., González-Bermúdez, A. Martínez, R., and Esperón-Rodríguez, M. 2016. Note on the population structure of Echinocactus platyacanthus (cactaceae) in the “Barranca de Metztitlán” Hidalgo Biosphere Reserve, Mexico. Acta Botánica Mexicana, 115: 65-73.
- Del Castillo, R., and Trujillo, S. 1991. Ethnobotany of Ferocactus histrix and Echinocactus platyacanthus (cactaceae) in the Semiarid Cetral Mexico: Past, Present and Future. Economic Botany, 45 (4): 495-502.
- Innes, C. and Glass, Ch. 1997. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cacti. Quantum Books. China. 320 p.
- Eguiarte Fruns, LE and C. Jiménez Sierra. 2000. Analysis of the distribution and structure of the populations of Echinocactus platyacanthus Link et Otto, in the Zapotitlán Valley, Puebla. National Autonomous University of Mexico. Institute of Ecology. Final report SNIB-CONABIO project No. L009. México DF Taken from: conabio.gob.mx.
- Jiménez-Sierra, CL, and Eguiarte, LE 2010. Candy Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus platyacanthus Link & Otto): A traditional Plant Resource in Mexico Subject to Uncontrolled Extraction and Browsing. Economic Botany, 64 (2): 99-108.
- Catalog of Life: 2014 Annual Checklist. Taken from: catalogueoflife.org.
- Hernández, HM, Cházaro, M. & Gómez-Hinostrosa, C. 2017. Echinocactus platyacanthus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T152537A121477917. Taken from: dx.doi.org.