Deamia testudo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Deamia testudo |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Genus: | Deamia |
| Species: |
D. testudo
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| Binomial name | |
| Deamia testudo (Karw. ex Zucc.) Britton & Rose
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Deamia testudo is a unique type of flowering plant that belongs to the cactus family. It grows naturally in warm areas from southern Mexico through Central America all the way to Nicaragua. This plant was first discovered and described in 1838. It's known for its long stems that can climb or hang, and its beautiful, large white flowers.
What it Looks Like
Deamia testudo is a plant that can climb over or hang from rocks. It also climbs or hangs from trees. It grows special roots along its stems. These roots help it hold on tightly to whatever it is growing on.
Its stems are made of segments. Each segment can be up to 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) long. They can also be up to 8 centimeters (about 3 inches) wide. The stems usually have three ribs, which are like thin, wing-shaped ridges. These ribs can be about 1 to 3 centimeters (about 0.4 to 1.2 inches) high. Sometimes, a stem might have up to eight ribs.
Along the ribs are small bumps called areoles. These are where the spines grow. Each areole can have 10 or more brownish spines. Each spine is about 1 to 2 centimeters (about 0.4 to 0.8 inches) long.
The flowers of Deamia testudo are very striking. They have a long, thin base. The petals, called tepals, spread out widely and are white. The whole flower can be about 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) long. It can also be about 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) across.
How it Got its Name
The plant was first described in 1838 by a scientist named Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini. He named it Cereus testudo. Another scientist, Wilhelm Friedrich Karwinsky von Karwin, also helped with its early naming.
Over the years, scientists have studied this plant closely. In 1920, two scientists, Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose, thought the plant was special enough to create a new group for it. They named this new group Deamia. For a while, Deamia testudo was the only plant in this group.
Later, other scientists moved it to different groups, like Selenicereus and Strophocactus. This happened because they looked at different features, like the flowers.
However, more recent studies using DNA information (from 2017 and 2018) confirmed that Deamia is indeed its own unique group. So, the name Deamia testudo is now the accepted name for this interesting cactus.
Where it Lives
Deamia testudo is found in several countries. It grows naturally in southern Mexico. You can find it in the southeastern, southwestern, and Veracruz regions of Mexico, near the Gulf of Mexico. It also grows further south in Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
See also
In Spanish: Selenicereus testudo para niños
