Blossfeldia liliputiana
| Blossfeldia | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Genus: | Blossfeldia |
| Species: | B. liliputana |
| Binomial name | |
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Blossfeldia liliputana Werderm. |
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| Synonyms | |
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Blossfeldia is a genus of cactus (family Cactaceae) containing only one species, Blossfeldia liliputana, native to South America in northwestern Argentina (Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán and Catamarca Provinces) and southern Bolivia (Potosí Department). It grows at 1,200–3,500 m altitude in the Andes, typically growing in rock crevices, and often close to waterfalls.
It is of note as the smallest cactus species in the world, with a mature size of around 10–12 mm diameter. The flowers are white or rarely pink, 6–15 mm long and 5–7 mm diameter.
The species is named after the fictional country Lilliput where all the inhabitants are minute.
The genus and species were first described in 1937 by Erich Werdermann after being discovered in northern Argentina by Harry Blossfeld and Oreste Marsoner. The genus name honours Blossfeld.Blossfeldia liliputana has several features making it unique among cacti, including a very small number of stomata, the absence of a thickened cuticle, and hairy seeds with an aril. It is placed in the subfamily Cactoideae, and traditionally in the tribe Notocacteae. However, molecular phylogenetic studies have repeatedly shown that it is sister to the remaining members of the subfamily, and well removed from other genera placed in the Notocacteae:
Blossfeldia
tribe Cacteae
core Cactoideae, including traditional members of tribe Notocacteae
Recognizing the position of Blossfeldia, Nyffler and Eggli in their 2010 classification of Cactaceae placed it in a separate tribe, Blossfeldieae, within Cactoideae. Earlier, Blossfeldia had been placed in an entirely separate subfamily, Blossfeldioideae.
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