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Pediocactus facts for kids

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Pediocactus
Pediocactus simpsonii.jpg
Pediocactus simpsonii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Core eudicots
Order:
Caryophyllales
Family:
Cactaceae
Subfamily:
Cactoideae
Tribe:
Cacteae
Genus:
Pediocactus

Britton & Rose
Species

See text

Pediocactus is a group of small, round cacti. Their name comes from the Greek word "pedion," which means "plain" or "field." These cacti are often called hedgehog cacti or pincushion cacti because of their spiky look.

There are usually between 6 and 11 different kinds, or species, of Pediocactus. The exact number depends on which scientist you ask. Other cacti like Echinocereus and Echinopsis are also sometimes called hedgehog cacti.

What's in a Name? (Synonyms)

Sometimes, a group of plants or animals gets more than one scientific name. When this happens, the older or more commonly used name is usually kept. The other names are called "synonyms."

For the Pediocactus group, there are three other names that were once used:

  • Navajoa
  • Pilocanthus
  • Utahia

At one point, the Sclerocactus group was also thought to be the same as Pediocactus. However, scientists now agree that these are two different groups of cacti.

Different Kinds of Pediocactus (Species)

Scientists often study plants to understand how they are related. Sometimes, they have different ideas about how to group species. This means you might see slightly different lists of Pediocactus species depending on who wrote the list.

Here are some of the ways scientists have grouped Pediocactus species:

According to Edward Frederick Anderson (2005)

Edward Frederick Anderson listed these species:

According to David Richard Hunt (2006)

David Richard Hunt, in his book New Cactus Lexicon, listed these species:

According to Fritz Hochstätter (2007)

Fritz Hochstätter divided the Pediocactus group into two main sections:

Section Pediocactus

This section includes:

  • Pediocactus knowltonii
  • Pediocactus nigrispinus
    • Pediocactus nigrispinus subsp. nigrispinus
    • Pediocactus nigrispinus subsp. beastonii
    • Pediocactus nigrispinus subsp. indranus
  • Pediocactus paradinei
  • Pediocactus simpsonii
    • Pediocactus simpsonii subsp. simpsonii
    • Pediocactus simpsonii subsp. bensonii
    • Pediocactus simpsonii subsp. idahoensis
    • Pediocactus simpsonii subsp. robustior

Section Rhytidospermae

This section includes:

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