Native records: 1 botanical areas
Mexico Northeast
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Distribution is shown as WGSRPD Level 3 areas. It does not imply the species occurs throughout an entire area.
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Distribution last verified:
A large spherical cactus in the family Cactaceae, genus Kroenleinia (formerly Echinocactus), with dense golden-yellow spines. Native to east-central Mexico and endangered in the wild, but widely cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant.
Description
A large, roughly spherical to barrel-shaped cactus that grows singly (though basal shoots may sprout from adult specimens). Mature plants can reach over 1 metre in height with a diameter of 40 to 80 centimetres. The stem has 21 to 35 pronounced ribs, each bearing areoles with long, straight or slightly recurved spines in various shades of yellow. Radial spines number 8 to 10 and measure over 3 cm in length; central spines number 3 to 5 and measure about 5 cm. Puffy yellow flowers appear in summer at the crown of the plant, 4 to 6 cm long and 3 to 5 cm in diameter, lasting only three days. The spherical yellowish-green fruits are covered with white wool and contain smooth, shiny brown seeds. Endemic to east-central Mexico (states of Querétaro and Hidalgo), wild populations are rare and endangered due to habitat destruction and poaching. Formerly placed in the genus Echinocactus, it was moved to the new genus Kroenleinia in 2014 based on phylogenetic studies.
Habitat
Native to arid volcanic slopes and rocky outcrops in east-central Mexico, at altitudes up to 1,400 metres above sea level. Prefers rich, volcanic but well-aerated soil on sunny slopes where water drains quickly away from the roots. The natural habitat receives 500-700 mm of rain annually, primarily between June and September.
Distribution areas
Mexico
- Mexico NortheastNative
Climate of the native range
The Köppen climate classes found in the areas this plant is recorded as native to. It does not mean an entire area has that climate.
- BSh Arid, steppe, hot
- BSk Arid, steppe, cold
- BWh Arid, desert, hot
- Cwb Temperate, dry winter, warm summer
The same climate occurs in 64 areas worldwide, 63 of which have no record of this plant. See them on the map
A matching climate does not mean the plant can grow there. Range limits are also set by things other than climate — dispersal history, soils, competition. Source: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0 (observed period 1991–2020).
Other names
Golden barrel cactus、Golden ball、Mother-in-law's chair、Mother-in-law's cushion
- Family
- Cactaceae
- Genus
- Kroenleinia
Sources
World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04
Mexico · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv
Open source
Image information
Photograph of Kroenleinia grusonii
André Karwath aka Aka · CC BY-SA 2.5 · File page