Pterocactus

Pterocactus ( lat.Pterocactus ) - a genus of cacti . The first species of the genus Pterocactus was described by Ludwig Pfeifer as Opuntia tuberosa back in 1837 on the basis of samples collected by John Gillies in the vicinity of Mendoza ( Argentina ). The genus Pterocactus itself was described in 1897 by Karl Schumman . In its name used other Greek. πτερόν - “wing”, which hints at the structural details of the seeds of these cacti. Roberto Kiesling's studies are the basis of modern ideas about the systematic position and composition of the genus Pterocactus. Pterocactus is a small, almost dwarf geophytic cactus with well-developed roots. There are underground shoots. Like other representatives of prickly pear cacti, prerocacti have small leaves that will soon fall. The range of the genus is the territory of Argentina .