Rapicactus mandragora, synonym Turbinicarpus mandragora, is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae.
It is endemic to Coahuila state in Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is a Critically Endangered species, threatened by habitat destruction.
Description
Rapicactus mandragora usually grows singly with grey-green, more or less spherical to elongated bodies and has tuberous to rounded thickened roots, which are formed from an often long, neck-like or stalk-shaped base. The bodies reach heights of 3 to 5 centimeters and diameters of 4 to 6 centimeters. Their humps are conical. The 1 to 2 straight, protruding, whitish central spines become darker with age and are 18 to 22 millimeters long. The 8 to 14 radiating, straight, white marginal spines are between 8 and 15 millimeters long.
The flowers are white with a reddish central stripe or yellow. They are 2 centimeters long and have a diameter of 2.5 centimeters. The spherical fruits are reddish green.
Subspecies
Rapicactus mandragora subsp. mandragora
Rapicactus mandragora subsp. pailanus
Distribution
Rapicactus mandragora is widespread in the Mexican state of Coahuila.
Taxonomy
The first description as Echinocactus mandragora was made in 1929 by Alwin Berger. The specific epithet mandragora comes from Latin, means 'mandrake' and refers to the similarity of the root tubers of both species. Franz Buxbaum and Hans Oehme placed the species in the genus Rapicactus in 1942. Other nomenclature synonyms are Turbinicarpus mandragora (Frič ex A.Berger) A.D.Zimmerman (1991), Thelocactus mandragora A.Berger (1929), Gymnocactus mandragora (Frič ex A.Berger) Backeb. (1961), Neolloydia mandragora (Frič ex A.Berger) E.F.Anderson (1986), Pediocactus mandragora (Frič ex A.Berger) Halda (1998) and Lodia mandragora (Frič ex A.Berger) Mosco & Zanov. (2000).