Turbinicarpus a dying genus

in #nature7 years ago

Turbinicarpus is a genus of cacti, they range from small to medium in size. They inhabit regions of Mexico at altitudes of 300-3000 meters above sea level
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Now, most cacti are tough but these little guys take it the next level. Turbinicarpus are found in areas of minimal inhabitance of other plant life. They enjoy a substrate of limestone, sandstone, gypsum.
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These conditions have required them to be able to hold onto water for a very long time but also to be able to absorb water without the use of there roots. To do this a majority of turbinicarpus grew paper-like spines that are able to absorb water much easier than there hard spined brother and sisters.1514447266792304502696.jpg
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I have been collecting a wide range if this genus for over a year now. I have in my collection I have 24 species that come under this genus. All the photos included in this post are from my personal collection.

They're really beautiful cacti that unfortunately don't get too much attention from collectors and a lot of poachers. Like the Lophophora (peyote) and the Ariocarpus genus, they are all hard to find due to illegal poaching. Hopefully, my post will bring some attention to an amazing group of cactireceived_10212137755252347.jpeg20171224_124406.jpg