Coryphantha

There are four characteristics that distinguish Coryphantha from other cacti.

1. Their bodies do not have ribs, just tubercles.Dicht, Reto F. and Lüthy, Adrian D. (2005) "3.2 Tubercles" Coryphantha: Cacti of Mexico and Southern USA. Springer, Berlin, pp. 9–12, {{ISBN|3-540-22306-1}}
2. The flowers form at the top of the plant (the apex or growing end of the stem).
3. The tip (podarium) of each flowering tubercle has three parts, the spiny areole, the groove and the axil. Without the groove it is not a Coryphantha.
4. The seed coat (or testa) has a net-like pattern (reticulate).Dicht, Reto F. and Lüthy, Adrian D. (2005) "3.7 Seeds" Coryphantha: Cacti of Mexico and Southern USA. Springer, Berlin, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Da89HsF8AOkC&pg=PA17 p. 17-20], {{ISBN|3-540-22306-1}}

More than many other cacti, the Coryphantha change in their appearance over their lifespan.Dicht, Reto F. and Lüthy, Adrian D. (2005) Coryphantha: Cacti of Mexico and Southern USA. Springer, Berlin, p. 2, {{ISBN|3-540-22306-1}} The presence or absence of a central spine is not indicative of the genus, even in fully adult plants.

The name Coryphantha was first applied by George Engelmann in 1856 as a subgenus,Anderson, Edward F. (2001) "Coryphantha" The Cactus Family. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, [https://books.google.com/books?id=vYXQHL2IsZ4C&pg=PA186 p. 186], {{ISBN|0-88192-498-9}} the earlier name Aulacothele of Lemaire having been abandoned.Dicht, Reto F. and Lüthy, Adrian D. (2005) Coryphantha: Cacti of Mexico and Southern USA. Springer, Berlin, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Da89HsF8AOkC&pg=PA23 p. 23], {{ISBN|3-540-22306-1}} In 1868 Lemaire promoted the group to genus level. Before this all Coryphantha had been classified as Mammillaria.

The genus has two valid synonyms:

• Cumarinia Buxb. and
• Lepidocoryphantha Backeb.

and three invalid ones:

• Aulacothele Monv. (nom. inval.)
• Glandulifera (Salm-Dyck) Fric (nom. inval.)
• Roseia Fric (nom. inval.)

A number of Coryphantha have previously been classified in other genera, indeed the type species C. sulcata was originally named Mammillaria sulcataBritton, Nathaniel Lord and Brown, Addison (1913) An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British possessions, from Newfoundland to the parallel of the southern boundary of Virginia, and from the Atlantic Ocean westward to the 102d meridian (2nd edition) Scribner, New York, pp. 1–3, {{OCLC|852525}} Other examples include Echinocactus salinensis Poselger 1853 now Coryphantha salinensis (Poselger) Dicht and A.Lüthy 1998Dicht, Reto F. and Lüthy, Adrian D. (1998) "Im Feld wiederaufgefunden: Coryphantha salinensis (Poselger) Kakteen und andere Sukkulenten 49(11): pp. 256ff., in German and Neolloydia pulleineana Blackberg 1948 now Coryphantha pulleineana (Blackberg) Glass 1968.Glass, Charles (1968) "Cactaceas Mexicanas Poco conocidas" Cactaceas y Suculentas Mexicanas 2: pp. 34ff., in Spanish

Similarly, a number of other species have been previously classified as Coryphantha. For example, Escobaria vivipara was called Coryphantha vivipara.Hunt, David R. and Benson, Lyman (1976) "The lectotype of Coryphantha". Cactus and Succulent Journal (U.S.) 48: pp. 72ff.

{{gallery|align=center

|File:Coryphantha palmeri.JPG|Coryphantha delicata

|File:Coryphantha cornifera 5.JPG|Coryphantha cornifera

|File:Coryphanta palmeri c.JPG|Coryphantha delicata

|File:Coryphanta andreae 3 (coryphantha pycnacantha).JPG|Coryphantha pycnacantha

}}

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{{Commons category|position=left|Coryphantha}}

• [http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=CORYP USDA Plants Profile for Coryphantha (beehive cactus)]
• [http://plants.usda.gov/java/imageGallery?category=sciname&txtparm=Coryphantha&familycategory=all&growthhabit=all&duration=all&origin=all&wetland=all&imagetype=all&artist=all©right=all&location=all&stateSelect=all&cite=all&viewsort=25&sort=sciname USDA Plants Profile: gallery of Coryphantha images]

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Category:Cactoideae genera

Category:Flora of Central America

Category:Flora of the South-Central United States

Category:Flora of the Southwestern United States

Category:Flora of the Northwestern United States

Category:Cacti of Mexico

Category:Cacti of the United States

Category:Taxa named by George Engelmann