HOOCK, H. 1990 . Kaktusy Band: 26 Heft (2) Seite 27-30 Prekvapeni na stanovisti Astrophytum asterias (Zucc.) Lem.
A surprise at the habitat of Astrophytum asterias (ZUCC) . LEM.
Who had the opportunity to admire Astrophytum asterias at the habitat in Mexico knows how difficult it is to find these plants. Not only a correct place description by a friend or acquaintances is part of the success but sometimes also in addition a portion of luck. These Astrophyten are adapted to her surroundings visually so perfect that one recognizes them in the habitat first after quite a long time and with a practised eye between tuft of grass, stones and alluvial sand. When I visited one of the last Asterias refuges between Llera and Gonzales in Tamaulipas in January 1986, I didn't fare differently. At first I thought to be the victim of an inaccurate way description: it was a piece of sandy grassland, with loosely dry bush and dense populated with goats which belonged to a near Indian village. For the return to Ciudad Victoria already prepared inward, after an hour of vain search, I discovered the first Astrophytum asterias. And what a plant! Looking back I can say, the most unusual Asterias I ever found in Mexico. I found it just therefore because it looked out more clearly than all others of the surroundings.
At first it stood out that the plant body shone green yellow and jutted out visibly from the ground well. All others Astrophytum asterias have a deep green colour at the habitat. They have far moved back around the turn of the year to loamy sandy ground. Intense showers of rain have put in addition fine sand and stones into the rib grooves of the Astrophytums: a perfect mimicry! The more correct examination of my first Asterias showed that the epidermis didn't have partly any chlorophyll. Therefore these parts of the body seemed yellowish and easily lowered (to figure 1 and figure 2).
Similar plants of Astrophytum asterias or "Variegaten" are known to cultivated plants since long. They get preferably increased in Japan like the red Gymnocalycium mihanovichii (FRIC & GÜRKE) BR. They are industry sold (figure 3) in the whole world. Attempts to increase such plants generatively had shown me already before the Mexiko journey that the mechanism for the chlorophyll defect is also caused extrachromosal. Therefore it doesn't follow the known rules conform to Mendel's laws. Normal crossings and reciprocal crossings are different in the results. The 'variegate' Astrophytum asterias regenerate preferably pure green at injury or pure yellow. The shoots are rare 'variegate' like the output plants.
To my knowledge this Astrophytum asterias is the first variegate plant of the genus Astrophytum which is mentioned literarily. It has 8 ribs with the characteristic flakes on the epidermis and certainly already capable to flower for years with a diameter of about 5 cm. In the distance for pollinators were about fifty pure green plants under which presumably are the parents and probably also descendants of this spotted copy. The chlorophyll damaged parts seemed to me to have a virus conditional cause because of the dirty yellow colour. A sexual multiplication of this quality wouldn't be possible in this case. Such striking Astrophytums have hardly a chance of survival at her native country because they are relatively selected fast by her eating enemies visibly well there. Or perhaps does a hungry Mexican goat not eat a "gem" looking so different, so dangerous and poisonous? It would be an explanation that my 'variegate' Asterias exists at the location at all.
Literature (selection):
FRIC, A. V. (1925): Rod Astrophytum, Zivot v Prirode 29 (10): 33-35
FRIC, A. V. (1925): Odrudy astrophyt, Zivot v Prirode 29 (11): 37-40
GRÄSER, R. (1963): Versuche mit Astrophytum asterias, Kakt. and. Sukk. 14 (2):
HAUSTEIN, E. (1950): Plastiden-Vererbung bei Kakteen, Kakt. and. Sukk. 1 (3): 5
ITO, Y. (1981): The Cactaceae - Classification and Illustration of Cacti by Yoshio Ito, Japan: 508
MEGATA, M. (1944): An Account of the Genus Astrophytum LEMAIRE in: Memoirs of the College of Agriculture, No. 56, Kyoto Imperial University: 52
SADOVSKY, O. (1971): Versuche auf dem lebenden Kakteenfriedhof, Kakt. and. Sukk. 22 (4): 74-75
SCHUMANN, K. (1895): Weisse oder gelbe Formen von succulenten Pflanzen, Monatsschrift d. DKG 5 (7): 110
Photos:
Astrophytum asterias, Tamaulipas (1)
Astrophytum asterias, Tamaulipas (2)
Astrophytum asterias, Tamaulipas (3)
Astrophytum asterias, cultivated plant, flower (1)
Astrophytum asterias, cultivated plant, flower (2)
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