Escobaria minima facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Escobaria minima |
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| Conservation status | |
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Cacteae
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| Genus: |
Escobaria
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| Species: |
E. minima
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| Escobaria minima (Baird) D.R. Hunt
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Coryphantha nellieae |
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The Escobaria minima is a very rare type of cactus. People also call it the Nellie cory cactus or Nellie's pincushion cactus. It's a favorite plant for people who collect cacti. Because it's so popular, it has become a highly endangered species in nature.
You can only find this tiny cactus in Brewster County, Texas, in the United States. There are only three small groups of these plants left near a town called Marathon. They grow in rocky soil on a special rock formation called the Marathon Uplift. This cactus was put on the endangered species list in 1979 to help protect it.
What It Looks Like
Most of this cactus's stem grows underground. The part you see above the ground is a spiny, round or tall shape. It's usually no more than 3 centimeters (about 1 inch) long. When people grow it in gardens, it can get a bit bigger.
Its longest spines are about half a centimeter long. They are flat, and their tips are not super sharp. They can be tan, yellow, gray, or pink, sometimes with darker tips. The flower is about 1.5 centimeters long and is a bright pink or purple color. Sometimes, the flower can even be bigger than the cactus itself! The fruit is green or yellowish and is very small, less than 6 millimeters long.
Where It Lives
This cactus naturally lives in the Chihuahuan desert. It often grows in cracks in rocks, nestled in mats of a plant called Selaginella. You might also find it growing near another endangered cactus, Echinocereus viridiflorus var. davisii.
Because this cactus is small, interesting, and pretty, many people who collect plants really like it. For a long time, collectors have visited the few places where this cactus grows. Much of this land is private, so it's hard to know exactly how many cacti are left.
Sadly, this cactus used to grow on a ranch in the area. But the ranch owner allowed collectors to take plants, and the cactus completely disappeared from that spot. It has also vanished from places along highways where it used to be easy to find. Luckily, many growers today help by growing and spreading the plant in safe environments.
See also
In Spanish: Escobaria minima para niños
