Matucana

For the town of Matucana, see: Matucana (Lima region)

A genus within the cactus family. The genus Matucana contains approximately twenty species of mostly globular plants, all growing in Peru, mostly along the Marañón river.

The first species was discovered near the town of Matucana, and described as Echinocactus haynii by Otto in 1849. The genus Matucana was erected in 1922 by Britton & Rose.

Matucanas are rarely cultivated, compared to genera like e.g. Mammillaria and Notocactus . Despite this, some species are endangered due to collection for the specialist market.

Reference

Bregman, Rob: The Genus Matucana. Biology and systematics of fascinating Peruvian cacti. A.A.Balkema 1996.