Gymnocalycium calochlorum

Description

Gymnocalycium calochlorum is a species of plant in the genus Gymnocalycium of the cactus family (Cactaceae). The epithet calochlorum derives from the Greek words kalos for 'beautiful' and chloros for 'green' and refers to the shiny green epidermis of the species. Gymnocalycium calochlorum grows sprouts in abundance in groups or cushions with gray-green to blue-green, depressed spherical shoots that reach heights of up to 4 centimeters with diameters of 6 centimeters. The eleven ribs are humped. The about nine thin, flexible, white to pink-brown spines are bent backwards towards the surface of the shoot. They are up to 1 centimeter long. The light pink flowers are up to 6 centimeters long and do not open wide. The blue to blue-green fruits are elongated ovoid. Gymnocalycium calochlorum is found in the Argentine province of Córdoba at altitudes of 500 to 1500 meters. The first description as Echinocactus calochlorus was made in 1932 by Friedrich Bödeker. Yoshi Itô placed the species in the genus Gymnocalycium in 1952. Other nomenclatural synonyms are Gymnocalycium proliferum var. calochlorum (Boed.) Backeb. (1936) and Gymnocalycium quehlianum var. calochlorum (Boed.) H. Till & Amerh. (2007). In the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the species is listed as " Least Concern (LC) ". H. listed as not endangered.