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Species

Accordion-Ribbed Wavy Brain Cactus

Stenocactus crispatus

Article summary

Editorial SEO summary

Accepted name, 99 Kew synonyms, Mexican range, many-ribbed identity boundary, and global DD status of Stenocactus crispatus.

Scientific taxonomy article

Accepted name and publication history

The accepted name in the current Kew backbone is Stenocactus crispatus (DC.) A.Berger. Alwin Berger transferred de Candolle’s 1828 Echinocactus crispatus to Stenocactus in 1929 in Kakteen 346. IPNI confirms nomenclatural authorship and place of publication, while current acceptance, native distribution, and the exact synonym surface follow the rendered POWO species page.12

The basionym is Echinocactus crispatus DC., recorded from Mémoires du Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle 17: 37 (1828).

Taxonomic boundary

In the Kaktüs Doktoru backbone, this is a species child of the accepted genus Stenocactus. Kew lists no accepted subspecies or variety on the species page and places 99 historical names in species synonymy. Those names do not create accepted taxa, products, or public routes.

Identity and variation

Numerous narrow, undulating ribs, closely spaced areoles, and variable spination are strong clues, but the broad synonymy means that no single surface character should define the species. The exceptionally broad nomenclatural history warns against treating one spine, rib, or flower character as a stand-alone diagnosis. When possible, provenance, stem, ribs, areoles, spines, and flowers should be assessed together.

Native distribution and conservation

Kew records the species from central, Gulf, north-eastern, and south-western Mexico and describes a succulent subshrub of desert or dry shrubland biomes.1 The global category is DD — Data Deficient.3 DD means that available information is insufficient; it is not equivalent to commercial availability or security of every local population.

Synonymy and retrieval

The exact reviewed Kew surface contains 99 unique names: 5 homotypic and 94 heterotypic. The first five names are homotypic combinations based on the same type; the remaining 94 are heterotypic names historically published in Echinocactus, Echinofossulocactus, Efossus, Brittonrosea, and Stenocactus. Synonyms support nomenclatural history and retrieval of older literature; they are neither canonical routes nor accepted subordinate ranks.1

References

  1. Plants of the World Online. “Stenocactus crispatus (DC.) A.Berger.” Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Accessed: 2026-08-07. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:244563-2 ↩
  2. International Plant Names Index. “Stenocactus crispatus (DC.) A.Berger.” Accessed: 2026-08-07. https://www.ipni.org/n/244563-2 ↩
  3. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Stenocactus crispatus.” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/152877/121614937 ↩

Plants In This Group

Accordion-Ribbed Wavy Brain Cactus

Stenocactus crispatus

Accordion-Ribbed Wavy Brain Cactus

Stenocactus crispatus is a Mexican natural cactus associated with numerous narrow ribs and a conspicuously folded stem surface. Numerous narrow, undulating ribs, closely spaced areoles, and variable spination are strong clues, but the broad synonymy means that no single surface character should define the species. The botanical dictionary layer explains the living plant, while accepted identity and the 99 name nomenclatural surface remain explicit in the taxonomy article.