The update of cactusinhabitat.org 2021 is online!
After returning from our sixth South American trip (16 Nov. 2015/2 Aug. 2016), in a cactusinhabitat.org News dated September 2016, we hoped to update the website with the materials of the last two trips (2013-2014, 2015-2016), for the beginning of 2018. In reality, the processing of the huge amount of data collected in the habitats, in addition to the publication of some wide-ranging articles, namely the synopsis of Parodia Spegazzini s.l., which appeared in Bradleya (2018, 36: 70-161), and the two articles on the genera Parodia s.l. and Echinopsis s.l., created for the special issue of CactusWorld dedicated to South American Cacti (2020, Vol. 38 Special Issue: 1-52), made us postpone the deadlines.
The present publication brings to 346 the accepted taxa at the specific level and to 46 those at the generic level, compared to 252 and 40 respectively considered in the previous 2013 edition. The 608 new surveys conducted during the last two trips are documented by 6300 photos, which together with the previous 6500, bring the total images illustrating the taxa in cactusinhabitat.org to 12800.
In relation to the rather conservative approach to the number of accepted genera and species, the long journeys conducted through the most arid and semi-arid ecosystems on the planet, have made us aware that species are not interested in maintaining an identity through reproductive barriers, but they simply want to continue to exist or to be, transforming to each other in space and time through reproduction and crossing. On the basis of genetic arguments, we underline how a taxonomic science with a more universal vision, can help us to overcome together with many useless names that reassure us so much, also as many useless barriers, in the direction of a more empathic and ethical understanding of the world.
The site update is accompanied by South America 2013/2021, the third publication of the series cactusinhabitat booklet, published and distributed by Modo infoshops and free downloadable here.
In the main text of the booklet, Taxonomy (part III), we trace some guidelines which, retracing the milestones of Western philosophical and scientific thought, lead to the current propensity of human mind, in its definitions about something approximately true in nature, to a predisposition to proceed always and only through inductive methods aimed at dissecting the real, and not to the understanding of a totality of the same reality through a deductive and unifying method. In the conclusions we formulate as a proposal for a preparation for a new method of approach to scientific knowledge, a return to a way of proceeding that favours theoretical-speculative thinking as the basis for understanding reality. An invitation to grasp the visible through reasoning, and the invisible through intuition.
An interview appeared in Piante Grasse, Vol. 41 (2): 68-80.
The download is available here: Piante_Grasse-intervista-2-2021 (PDF 22,5MB)
A special issue of CactusWorld, South American Cacti, Vol. 38 (4) Special Issue: 1-52 (December 2020), has been dedicated to our studies in Parodia Spegazzini s.l. and Echinopsis Zuccarini s.l.
The issue consists of two long articles on the two genera, both full texts are available here:
Dominant species in Parodia Spegazzini s.l. Cactaceae.
CactusWorld Special Issue Vol. 38 (4): 3-26 (PDF 14.2MB).-Dec2020-Special Issue-Article1.jpg "CactusWorld38(4)-Dec2020-Special_Issue-Article1-final.pdf - (PDF 14.2MB)")
New circumscription of the concept of Echinopsis (Cleistocactus) buchtienii and the inclusion of Cleistocactus tupizensis sensu Backeberg in the Echinopsis (Cleistocactus) nothohyalacantha complex.
CactusWorld Special Issue Vol. 38 (4): 27-50 (PDF 13.1MB).-Dec2020-Special Issue-Article2.jpg "CactusWorld38(4)-Dec2020-Special_Issue-Article2-final.pdf - (PDF 13.1MB)")
The full text of our article 'A synopsis of the genus Parodia Spegazzini s.l. (Cactaceae)', the first complete study on Parodia s.l., published in Bradleya 36/2018, pages 70-161 (July 6th 2018), is available for download here: A synopsis of the genus Parodia Spegazzini s.l. (Cactaceae) (PDF 4.5MB).
Our article 'A synopsis of the genus Parodia Spegazzini s.l. (Cactaceae)', the first complete study on Parodia s.l., is published in Bradleya 36/2018, pages 70-161 (July 6th 2018).
The download of the Summary is available here: Bradleya 36 Summary (PDF 340KB)
New cards:
Parodia curvispina (F. Ritter) D.R. Hunt
Parodia ibicuiensis (Prestlé) Anceschi & Magli
Parodia stockingeri (Prestlé) Hofacker & P. J. Braun
New synonyms in:
Parodia nivosa Backeberg
An interview appeared in the book "Xerophile: Cactus Photographs from Expeditions of the Obsessed", pages 328-329 (2017, Hat & Beard Press, 352 pages).
The download is available here: Xerophile Cactusinhabitat Interview (JPG, 3,3MB)
As announced in the November 2015 News, on August 2 we came back from our sixth South American trip. So far, we have spent over 50 months in habitat with cactus populations. We kept our travel plan unchanged, except for the exclusion of Catamarca and the addition of Corrientes for the Argentinian provinces, and the exclusion of the Sucre Department in Bolivia. This time our field studies involved 54 new taxa at the specific level, in the following genera: Arrojadoa, Arthrocereus, Cereus, Coleocephalocereus, Echinopsis (including Cleistocactus), Espostoopsis, Facheiroa, Gymnocalycium, Leocereus, Melocactus, Micranthocereus, Opuntia, Parodia (+1 Andean taxon +2 taxa of the Pampa Biome), Pereskia, Pierrebraunia, Pilosocereus (including Cipocereus), Quiabentia, Rebutia, Stephanocereus, Sulcorebutia, Tacinga, Tunilla, Uebelmannia. On the 2013-2014 (70 taxa investigated at the species level) and 2015-2016 trips we collected such a large amount of material that we would rather bring forward its publication, contrary what was highlighted in the September 2014 News, leaving the updates concerning our next trip (Northern Peru, Ecuador and Colombia) to a further publication. We are expecting that the materials, methods and results of the work relevant to these two last trips will see the light in the first part of 2018 in a new large block of cards, photos and texts, accompanied by the release of the new booklet.
On November 16th our sixth South American tour began: departure from Buenos Aires and arrival in Salvador de Bahia, at the beginning of August 2016. This time we will study plant populations through Argentina (Santa Fe, Córdoba, Catamarca, Salta, Jujuy), Bolivia (Tupiza, Tarija, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz) and Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, Bahia).
Our article “The position of Parodia turecekiana in the Parodia mammulosa complex” is published on THE CACTUS EXPLORER N° 13, pages 60-73 (December 2014).
Downlodable here: The Cactus Explorer 13 (PDF 3.3MB).
New surveys 2013-2014 in:
Parodia mammulosa (Lemaire) N.P. Taylor 1987
New synonyms in:
Parodia mammulosa (Lemaire) N.P. Taylor 1987
New distribution data in:
Parodia mammulosa (Lemaire) N.P. Taylor 1987
Parodia mueller-melchersii (Backeberg) N. P. Taylor 1987
Parodia maldonadensis (Herter) Hofacker 2012
New conservation status in:
Parodia mueller-melchersii (Backeberg) N. P. Taylor 1987
Parodia maldonadensis (Herter) Hofacker 2012
On May 31, our fifth South American journey was concluded. From 2005, we spent 42 months in habitat with the plants.
This time we studied and documented populations of about 70 new taxa in the genera Austrocylindropuntia, Armatocereus, Blossfeldia, Browningia, Corryocactus, Echinopsis (included Borzicactus, Cleistocactus, Espostoa, Haageocereus, Matucana, Mila, Oroya, Pygmaeocereus, and Weberbauerocereus), Eriosyce, Gymnocalycium, Melocactus, Opuntia, Parodia (+ 10 Andean taxa and + one from the Pampa Biome), Rebutia, Sulcorebutia and Weingartia.
Materials, methods and results of this work, together with that of the next two journeys, will probably be published in 2017, in a new large block of cards, photos and articles accompanied by the release of the new booklet.
On November 4th a new South American tour of cactusinhabitat began: departure from Buenos Aires and arrival in Lima, at the end of May 2014. This time we will study plant populations through Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Peru.
Our article “The new monophyletic macro-genus Echinopsis. No risk of paraphyly, and the most convincing hypothesis in phylogenetic terms”, was published on Cactaceae Systematics Initiatives N° 31, pages 24-27 (August 2013).
The PDF of the Postrprint is available here (PDF 168KB).
The update of cactusinhabitat.org 2013 is online!
After spending the whole of 2011 in the South American habitats, and another year and a half devoted to ordering and studying the data collected, we present more than 100 new taxa (many of which are accompanied by the related comments) bringing to 252 the total number of species recognized in cactusinhabitat.org. The new surveys are documented by more than 4500 new photos, in addition to the earlier 2000. Although we added some new genera, the total number we are presenting remained 40 because we chose to assimilate some genera in Echinopsis Zuccarini (as a result of the phylogenetic hypothesis adopted on the basis of the latest molecular analyses). Our work in habitat brought us in fact to prefer the relationships between the species rather than separations, leading us toward a more traditional approach of the classification of the genera and species in the Cactaceae.
The site update is accompanied by South America 2011/2013, the second publication of the series cactusinhabitat booklet, published and distributed by Modo infoshops and downloadable here for free.
Our article “Observations concerning Parodia (Eriocactus)”. Giovanna Anceschi & Alberto Magli share their observations of the misunderstood populations of Parodia claviceps (F. Ritter) F. H. Brandt living in the Province of Misiones (Argentina), is published on THE CACTUS EXPLORER N° 7, pages 27-39.
Downloadable here: The Cactus Explorer 7 (PDF 3.6MB).
New surveys 2011 in:
Parodia claviceps (F. Ritter) F. H. Brandt 1982
Parodia nigrispina (K. Schumann) F. H. Brandt 1982
Parodia schumanniana (K. Schumann) F. H. Brandt 1982
Our article 'Parodia turbinata (Arechavaleta) Hofacker: a confused taxon' published on THE CACTUS EXPLORER N° 6, pages 26-33.
Downloadable here: Cactus Explorer 6 (PDF 3.6MB).
New cards:
Parodia calvescens (N. Gerloff & A. D. Nilson) Anceschi & Magli
Parodia rechensis (Buining) F. H. Brandt
New surveys 2011 in:
Parodia erinacea (Haworth) N. P. Taylor
New synonyms in:
Parodia erinacea (Haworth) N. P. Taylor (see Comments)
Our article 'The last populations of Parodia rechensis (Buining) F. H. Brandt' published on THE CACTUS EXPLORER N° 5, pages 30-34.
A preview of the next update of cactusinhabitat.org.
Downloadable here: Cactus Explorer 5.pdf (2MB).
We're back home working, after our last long journey in South America in 2011: 11 intense months through Argentina (provinces of Córdoba, La Rioja, Catamarca, Tucumán, Salta and Jujuy), Bolivia (provinces of Tarija, Chuquisaca and Santa Cruz), Brazil (states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Rio Grande do Sul), Paraguay (departments of Amambay, Concepción, Boqueron, Alto Paraguay, Cordillera and Parguarì), and Uruguay (Montevideo and the department of Maldonado), where we studied and documented cactus populations constituting more than one hundred taxa. The publication of the new large block of cards, photos and articles on the web site and the new release of the booklet are planned for the beginning of 2013.
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