Cochemiea Explained

Cochemiea is a genus of cactus. The group was previously synonymized with Mammillaria, until molecular phylogenetic studies determined that—when broadly circumscribedMammillaria is not monophyletic; thus, Cochemiea has been accepted as a distinct genus.

The Cactaceae family, as a whole, is the fifth most-endangered plant or animal family taxon, globally, as evaluated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[1] The reasons for this are varied, ranging from climate change and habitat loss, in some regions, to the illegal harvesting (poaching) of wild cacti for personal collections or sale on the black market, or blatantly sold, as-is, fresh from the wild. As these plants are naturally slow growers, wild cactus growth and reproduction rates may not meet the rate at which certain populations of species are being poached, thus creating gaps in the wild populations and risking complete regional depletion or extinction.

Taxonomy

A 2021 molecular phylogenetic study of the "mammilloid clade", which included the genera Cochemiea, Coryphantha, Cumarinia, Escobaria, Mammillaria, Neolloydia and Ortegocactus, showed that it consisted of four monophyletic groups, which the authors re-circumscribed into four genera: Cumarinia; Mammillaria, with a reduced number of species; Coryphantha, expanded to include species previously placed in Mammillaria and Escobaria; and Cochemiea, expanded to include a large number of species previously placed in Mammillaria, as well as Neolloydia conoidea.

Species

In 2021, Breslin, Wojciechowski and Majure placed the following species in the genus, some already placed there and some moved from Mammillaria, Neolloydia, Neomammillaria and Ortegocactus., Plants of the World Online accepted in the genus the species moved by Breslin et al.

Image Scientific name Distribution
Cochemiea albicans (Britton & Rose) P.B.Breslin & Majure Mexico (Baja California)
Cochemiea angelensis (R.T.Craig) P.B.Breslin & Majure Mexico
Cochemiea armillata (K.Brandegee) P.B.Breslin & Majure Mexico (Baja California Sur)
Cochemiea barbata (Engelm.) Doweld Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango)
Cochemiea blossfeldiana (Boed.) P.B.Breslin & Majure Mexico (Guadalupe, Baja California)
Cochemiea boolii (G.E.Linds.) P.B.Breslin & Majure, Mexico (Sonora)
Cochemiea bullardiana (H.E.Gates) P.B.Breslin & Majure, Mexico (Baja California)
Cochemiea capensis (H.E.Gates) Doweld Mexico (Baja California Sur, Sonora)
Cochemiea cerralboa (Britton & Rose) P.B.Breslin & Majure Mexico (Baja Carlifornia Sur).
Cochemiea conoidea (DC.) P.B.Breslin & Majure Texas to NE. Mexico (to Veracruz)
Cochemiea dioica (K.Brandegee) Doweld S. California to NW. Mexico
Cochemiea estebanensis (G.E.Linds.) P.B.Breslin & Majure, Mexico (Island San Esteban)
Cochemiea fraileana (Britton & Rose) P.B.Breslin & Majure Mexico (Baja California Sur).
Cochemiea goodridgei (Scheer ex Salm-Dyck) P.B.Breslin & Majure Mexico (Baja California).
Cochemiea grahamii (Engelm.) Doweld SE. California to W. Texas and Mexico (Baja California Norte to Chihuahua)
Cochemiea guelzowiana (Werderm.) P.B.Breslin & Majure Mexico (Durango, Coahuila, Nuevo León)
Cochemiea halei (K.Brandegee) Walton Mexico (Baja California)
Cochemiea hutchisoniana (H.E.Gates) P.B.Breslin & Majure Mexico (Baja California)
Cochemiea insularis (H.E.Gates) P.B.Breslin & Majure Mexico (Baja California)
Cochemiea macdougallii (Alexander) P.B.Breslin & Majure Mexico (Oaxaca)
Cochemiea mainiae (K.Brandegee) P.B.Breslin & Majure S. Arizona to NW. Mexico
Cochemiea maritima H.E.Gates ex. Shurly Mexico (W. Central Baja California)
Cochemiea multidigitata (Radley & G.E.Linds.) P.B.Breslin Mexico (Sonora).
Cochemiea palmeri (J.M.Coult.) P.B.Breslin & Majure Mexico (Baja California)
Cochemiea phitauiana (E.M.Baxter) Doweld Mexico (Baja California).
Cochemiea pondii (Greene) Walton Mexico (Island Cedros)
Cochemiea poselgeri (Hildm.) Britton & Rose Mexico (Baja California Sur)
Cochemiea saboae (Glass) Doweld Mexico (E. Sonora, W. Chihuahua)
Cochemiea schumannii (Hildm.) P.B.Breslin & Majure Mexico (Baja California Sur).
Cochemiea setispina Walton Mexico (C. Baja California).
Cochemiea tetrancistra (Engelm.) P.B.Breslin & Majure SW. U.S.A. to NW. Mexico
Cochemiea theresae (Cutak) Doweld Mexico (Durango, Zacatecas).
Cochemiea thomasii García-Mor. & al. Mexico (Sinaloa)
Cochemiea thornberi (Orcutt) P.B.Breslin & Majure S. Arizona to Mexico (Sonora).
Cochemiea viridiflora (Britton & Rose) P.B.Breslin & Majure Arizona to SW. New Mexico.
Cochemiea wrightii (Engelm.) Doweld E. Arizona to W. Texas and N. Mexico.

Notes and References

  1. Goettsch . Bárbara . Hilton-Taylor . Craig . Cruz-Piñón . Gabriela . Duffy . James P. . Frances . Anne . Hernández . Héctor M. . Inger . Richard . Pollock . Caroline . Schipper . Jan . Superina . Mariella . Taylor . Nigel P. . Tognelli . Marcelo . Abba . Agustín M. . Arias . Salvador . Arreola-Nava . Hilda J. . 2015-10-05 . High proportion of cactus species threatened with extinction . Nature Plants . en . 1 . 10 . 15142 . 10.1038/nplants.2015.142 . 27251394 . 2055-0278. 11336/11280 . free .