Ariocarpus.org| Family | Cactaceae |
| Genus | Ariocarpus |
| Species | 7 accepted |
| Hybrid | A. × drabi |
| Range | N. Mexico · S. Texas |
Ariocarpus is a genus of slow-growing, ground-hugging cacti from the limestone deserts of northern Mexico, named for the geometric rosettes of fissured tubercles that make them look like nothing more than cracked stone.
This atlas catalogues every accepted species alongside the varieties, subspecies, and cultivated forms recorded within each, with type localities, identification notes, and habitat. The genus index at left moves through all of it.
Each species opens to a full account: a portrait from habitat, the classic botanical plate, a description, and every named variety and form recorded within it.
- Habit · geophytic, pressed flush with the soil
- Flowers · magenta, pink or cream, from a woolly crown
- Soil · limestone gravel and clay, full sun
- Where · Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí & west Texas
A genus of many forms
Beyond the species lie the old varieties and the crests, variegates, and woolly cultivars like ‘Godzilla’ that collectors prize. Each is catalogued with its parentage and origin.
Explore varieties & forms