Scientific taxonomy article
Accepted name and source opinion
Kew POWO accepts Aztekium hintonii with the author citation Glass & W.A.Fitz Maur.; its native range is Mexico: Nuevo León and Tamaulipas in desert or dry-shrubland context.1 IPNI remains separate evidence for nomenclatural publication and type details.2 POWO and IPNI bind the accepted identity to the 1992 Cactáceas y Suculentas Mexicanas publication under 300908-2; legacy source 960787-1 is rejected. The correct LSID and legacy wrong source remain explicit. The difference stays source-attributed in metadata; neither a wrong legacy LSID nor an invented reconciliation is generated.
Placement and production lineage
In the Kew backbone, Aztekium is an accepted genus of Cactaceae with three currently accepted species.3 The production taxonomy lineage for this record is species → Aztekium → Cactaceae. This batch does not create Cacteae, Cactoideae, Caryophyllales or any other ancestor node; it uses only the existing species node and direct genus relationship.
Distinct broad ribs, transverse grooves, a small body and areoles around the centre should be evaluated together for identification. Identification cannot be reduced to flower colour, one product photograph or body proportions altered by cultivation. Ribs and their shape, epidermis, areoles, spines, flowers, fruits, root structure and reliable provenance should be evaluated together. Grafting, low light and heavy feeding do not automatically change the scientific name.
Synonymy and canonical boundary
Kew lists 1 synonym: homotypic × Aztekonia hintonii (Glass & W.A.Fitz Maur.) Mottram. Homotypic names share a nomenclatural type, while heterotypic names can be based on different historical types. Synonyms support search and literature retrieval but do not create separately accepted species routes.
A. ritteri, A. valdezii and Geohintonia mexicana are not this synonym. A commercial clone, collection label, spelling variant or alternative taxonomic opinion does not create a synonym row unless the maintained backbone accepts that name as a synonym.
Range and conservation
Restricted rocky habitat in northeastern Mexico means nursery propagation cannot be treated as evidence of abundant wild populations. POWO records the native range as Mexico: Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.1 This does not describe nursery production, and commercial availability is not evidence that wild populations are secure.
The sourced conservation target is NT; the former live value was CR.4 The official IUCN-linked NT record replaces the unsupported live CR value. This is only a botanical conservation field, not product eligibility, legal trade permission or inventory policy.
Editorial ownership boundary
The source defines only the target taxonomy node and linked botanical editorial fields. Product copy, price, stock, SKU, images, variants, categories, common names, slugs and the product-to-botanical link remain protected. Placeholder botanical media is not replaced in this batch.
Current toxicity, difficulty and light enums are not reclassified as new scientific claims; their exact production-snapshot values are carried forward. The accepted species epithet may be populated, while empty subfamily and tribe fields are not guessed.
References
- Plants of the World Online. “Aztekium hintonii Glass & W.A.Fitz Maur..” Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Accessed: 2026-08-05. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A300908-2 ↩
- International Plant Names Index. “Aztekium hintonii Glass & W.A.Fitz Maur..” Accessed: 2026-08-05. https://www.ipni.org/n/300908-2 ↩
- Plants of the World Online. “Aztekium Boed.” Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Accessed: 2026-08-05. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A295156-2 ↩
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Aztekium hintonii.” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/152003/121453711 ↩
