The Etymology of Notocactus names.

The Genera, Subgenera and Section names.

Notocactus -- Derived from the Greek words "Notos" meaning south and "Kaktos" meaning a type of thistle, indicating that members of this genus are Cacti that originate in the South (America).
- Paucispini -- Having few spines.
- Setacei -- "Bristly", refers to the bristle like spines.
Neonotocactus -- The "new" Notocacti.
Brasilicactus -- Cactus coming from Brazil.
Brasiliparodia -- Parodia coming from Brazil.
Eriocactus -- "Woolly Cactus", refers to the copious wool in the apex.
Malacocarpus -- Having soft fruits.
Wigginsia -- Named for Dr. Ira Wiggins.

The species, variety and form names.

Specific, varietal and form names are listed in alphabetical order, i.e to find the full meaning of the name N. acutus var. depressus, you must look under "A" for acutus and "D" for depressus.

Many thanks to Krzysztof Wiktorowski for the help he provided

[ A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z ]

A

aceguaensis -- Comes from Acegua, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
aciculatus -- "needle shaped, broad".
acuatus -- Misspelling of "acutatus" which means "making an acute angle" ?
acutangularis -- "acutely angled", refers to it's ribs.
acutus -- "acute", refers to it's ribs.
adustus -- "Sun burned".
agnetae -- Discovered by Agnes Roggen, the wife of P.A. Roggen.
alacriportanus -- ???
alamoensis -- Comes from Alamo ???
albatus -- "white".
albiareolatus -- "white, areoles".
albiarmatus -- "white, armed", refers to the white spination.
albicans -- "tending towards white", refers to the white spination.
albiflorus -- "white, flower".
albilanatus -- "white, woolly".
albisetus -- "white, bristles".
albispinus -- "white, spines".
albolanatus -- "white, wool", probably refers to white areolar wool.
albus -- "white".
alegretensis -- Comes from Alegrete, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
allosiphon -- "other, another, tube", probably refers to some part of the flower.
allosyphon -- Misspelling of above.
altosensis -- Comes from Serra de Alto.
amiguetii -- Discovered by Amiguet ???
ampliocostatus -- "ample or abundant ribs".
antonianus -- Named to honour Anton ???
apelii -- Discovered by A. Apel ???
applanatus -- "flattened".
apricus -- "exposed to the sun".
arachnites -- "spider like", refers to the spider like spination.
arapeyensis -- Comes from Arapey.
arbolitoensis -- Comes from Arbolito, Cerro Largo, Uruguay.
arechavaletae -- Named to honour José Arechavaleta.
arevaloensis -- Comes from Arevalo.
arnostianus -- Named to honour Dr. Arnost Janousek.
artinensis -- Comes from Artin ???
atrispinus -- "dark, spines"
attenuata -- "attenuated".
atypicus -- "not typical, abnormal"
aurea -- "golden"
aureiflorus -- "golden, flower".
aureispinus -- "golden, spines".
aureus -- "golden yellow", refers to the colour of the spination.
aurisetus -- "golden yellow, bristles".

B

ballenaensis -- Comes from Punta Ballena, Uruguay.
batoviensis -- Comes from Batovie, Rivera, Uruguay.
beltranii -- Discovered by Beltran ???
berlinensis -- Comes from Nuevo Berlin/Estrela, Rio Negro, Uruguay.
bertramii -- Named to honour Paul Bertram
bezrucii -- Named to honour the Czech poet Peter Bezruc
blaauwianus -- Named to honour A.F. Blaauw
blossfeldianus -- Named to honour Harry Blossfeld.
bommelianus -- Named to honour Bommel ???
bommeljei -- Named to honour Bommelje
brasiliensis -- Coming from Brazil.
brederooianus -- Named to honour A.J. Brederoo.
brevihamatus -- "short, barbed", refers to the hooked spines.
brevisetus -- "short, bristles".
brevispinus -- "short, spines".
brunnispinus -- "brown, spines".
buenekeri -- Named to honour Rudi Werner Büneker.
buiningii -- Discovered by Albert F.H. Buining.
buiningioides -- "similar to buiningii".

C

cacapavensis -- Comes from Cacapava, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
cadeiaensis -- Comes from Morro de Cadeia, Rio Grande do Sul.
caespitosus -- "offsetting freely".
callianthus -- "beautiful, flower".
calvescens -- "bald", relates to the tendency of the plant to loose its spines.
cambaraensis -- Comes from Cambara, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
campestrensis -- Comes from Campestra, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
campoensis -- Comes from Campo Era, on the border between Santa Catarina and Parana, Brazil..
candidus -- "pure white", refers to the white spination.
capeloensis -- Comes from Capelo ???
caputproliferanus -- "head, producing offsets readily".
carambeiensis -- Comes from Carambei, Parana, Brazil.
catalanensis -- Comes from Catalan Grande.
catarinensis -- Comes from Santa Catarina, Brazil.
caveraensis -- Comes from Cavera, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
centangularis -- "many, angled", perhaps refers to a large number of ribs.
cephalophorus -- "head, bearing".
chrysanthus -- "golden-yellow, flower".
chrysocomus -- "golden-yellow, hair".
clavarioides -- "club shaped, similar to".
claviceps -- "club shaped", refers to the body shape of a mature plant.
cobrensis -- Named for a Copper mine near the locality and the colour of the central spines of many plants. (Cobre = Spanish for Copper)
colorispinus -- "colour, spines"
concinnioides -- similar to concinnus.
concinnus -- "elegant".
congregatus -- "growing together"
conjungens -- "fusing".
convexicostatus -- "convex, ribs", probably refers to a outward bulging of the ribs.
corniger -- Referring to horns (spines).
corynodes -- Referring to a club (shape).
courantii -- Discovered by Courant ???
crassigibbus -- "thick, humped", refers to the large humps on the ribs.
cristatoides -- "cristate, similar to", refers to the appearance similar to a cristate plant.
crucicentrus -- "cross shaped, central", refers to the central spines being arranged in the shape of a cross.
cunapiruensis -- Comes from Arroio de Cunapiru, Tacuarembo, Uruguay.
cupreatus -- "coppery", refers to the colour of the epidermis when grown in full sun.
curtinensis -- Comes from Curtina, Tacuarembo, Uruguay.
curvispinus -- "curved, spines".

D

daenikerianus -- Named to honour Albert Ulrich Daeniker
dalvae -- ???
darilhoensis -- Comes from Darilho.
debilacanthus -- "weak, spines".
densispinus -- "dense, spines", refers to the dense spination.
denudatus -- "bare", refers to the lack of (many) spines.
depressus -- "lying flat", refers to it's flattened appearance.
difformis -- "irregularly or unevenly or differently formed".
discophalium -- "with a discus like cephalium", refers to the thick wool covering of the plants apex. This is not a true cephalium
durispinus -- "hard, spines".

E

elachisanthus -- "small, flower"
electracanthus -- "yellow, spines".
elegans -- "elegant".
elongatus -- "elongated".
engleri -- Discovered by Adolf Engler
enormis -- ???
erectocylindricus -- "erect, cylindrical", probably refers to a cylindrical stature.
eremiticus -- "coming from the desert".
erinaceus -- "like a Hedgehog", refers to the spination (what else !!).
erizo -- From the Spanish for Hedgehog
ernestii -- Discovered by Ernest ???
erubescens -- "becoming red", refers to the tendency for the body to redden in the sun.
erythracanthus -- "red, spines".
erythrinus -- "red".
erytranthus -- "red, flower".
eugeniae -- Discovered by Eugenia van Vliet.
eurypleurus -- "broad, ribs".
euvelenovskyi -- "true velenovskyi". This name was needed because of the confusion of the correct aplication of the name "velenovskyi".

F

fasciculatus -- "clustered".
ferrugineispinus -- "red brown, spines".
ferrugineus -- "red brown", refers to the colour of the spination.
fimbriatiflorus -- "fringed, flower".
flaviflorus -- "yellow, flower".
flavifuscus -- "yellow, dark".
flavispinus -- "yellow, spines".
flavus -- "yellow".
floricomus -- "flower, long hair", perhaps refers to the hairy flowers of all members of this genus.
fortalezensis -- Comes from Fortaleza Rio Grande do Sul.
fricii -- Discovered by Alberto Vojtech Fric.
fuscispinus -- "dark brown, spines".
fuscus -- "dark brown".

G

gerbalitoensis -- Misspelling of yerbalitoensis.
gerloffianus -- Named to honour Norbert Gerloff
gibberulus -- "small, humped", refers to the small humps on the ribs.
gilviflorus -- "dull yellow. flower".
gladiatus -- Referring to a sword, relates to the spines.
glaucinus -- "with a waxy bloom", refers to the waxy coating on the epidermis.
glauserianus -- Named to honour Glauser ???
globularis -- "globular", refers to the shape of the plant.
glochidiatus -- "glochidate, provided with barbs", perhaps the spines are hooked or bent ???
glomeratus -- "clustered", refers to the tendency to form offsets.
gracilior -- "slender".
gracilis -- "slender".
gracilispinus -- "slender, spines".
graessneri -- Discovered by Robert Graessner.
grandicornis -- "large, horned", perhaps refers to large spines.
grandicostatus -- "large, ribs".
grandiensis -- Comes from ???
grandiflorus -- "large, flower".
gravior -- "heavy, weighty", refering to the greater size.
grossei -- Discovered by Herman Grosse ?
guaibensis -- Comes from Guaiba, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
gutierrezii -- Discovered by Antonio Gutierrez.

H

haasisianus -- Named to honour R. Haas/Th. de Haas ?
hamatacanthus -- "barbed, spines".
hamesterii -- Discovered by Hamester.
harmonianus -- Comes from Harmonia, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
haselbergii -- Discovered by Dr. F. von Haselberg.
haseltonianus -- Named to honour Scott Haselton.
hennisii -- Discovered by Wilhelm Hennis.
herteri -- Discovered by Prof. Guillermo Herter.
hircinus -- "smelling like a goat"
horridispinus -- "rough, spines", probably refers to strong spination.
horstii -- Discovered by Leopoldo Horst.

I

ibicuiensis -- Comes from near the Rio Ibicui, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
idiotensis -- Comes from ???
incomptus -- "without, hair" ???
infernensis -- Comes from Rincao de Inferno, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
intermedia -- "intermediate".
intermedius -- "intermediate".
intricatissimus -- "without, hair" ???
intricatus -- "without, hair" ???
invictus -- ???
itambezinhoensis -- Comes from Itambezinho ???

J

janousekianus -- Named to honour Dr. Arnost Janousek ?
jaquiranensis -- Comes from Jaquirana.
jasminiflorus -- "jasmine, flower".
joadii -- Discovered by Joad ???
juvenaliformis -- "juvenile form", refers to the plant looking like a young form of the plant.

K

knesplii -- Discovered by Knespl ???
knippelianus -- Named to honour Carl Knippel.
kovarikii -- Discovered by F. (Frantisk ?) Kovarik.

L

laetivirens -- "lightly, green", refers to the light green colour of the body.
lanatus -- "woolly".
langsdorfii -- Discovered by Grigorij Ivanovitsch Langsdorf.
leninghausii -- Discovered by Frederico Guilermo Leninghaus.
leprosorum -- "of the lepers", locality is near the leper colony of Port Alegre.
leucocarpus -- "white, pale, fruit".
liliputanus -- "small enough to inhabit liliput", refers to its lack of size.
limiticola -- "mud or marshes, inhabitant of", found growing near marshes.
linkii -- Discovered by Dr. Heinrich Friedrich Link.
longispinus -- "long, spines".
lourencoensis -- Comes from Sao Lourenco, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
luteo-roseus -- "pale yellow, rose coloured", refers to the two colours of the flower.
luteus -- "deep yellow".
luysianus -- Misspelling of wolthuyianus.

M

macambarensis -- Comes from Macambara, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
machadoensis -- Comes from Pinheiro Machado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
macracanthus -- "large, spines".
macrocanthus -- "large, spines".
macrogonus -- "large, angle", refers to the large angle between the ribs ???
magnificus -- "magnificent".
maior -- Misspelling of the next ?
major -- "larger", generally refers to a variety/form with a larger stature.
maldonadensis -- Comes from Maldonado, Uruguay.
mammulosus -- "having many nipple like projections", refers to the humps on the ribs.
marchesii -- Discovered by Prof. Eduardo Marchesi.
marmarajensis -- Comes from Marmaraja, Uruguay.
martinii -- Discovered by Martin ???
masollerensis -- Comes from Masoller, Salto, Uruguay.
maximus -- "largest", generally refers to a variety/form with a larger stature.
mayor -- ???
medinaensis -- Comes from Medina ???
megalanthus -- "large, flower".
megapotamicus -- "large, river" Comes form Rio Grande do Sul (Rio Grande = large river).
meldiansis -- ???
memorialis -- "remembrance", named in remembrance of Hugo Schlosser.
meonacanthus -- "smaller, weaker, spines".
mesetaensis -- Comes from Meseta ???
microdasys -- "small, shaggy".
microfloridus -- "small flower".
militaris -- ???
minasensis -- Comes from Minas de Corrales.
miniatispinus -- "reddish coloured spines".
miniflorus -- "small, flower".
minimus -- "very small", refers to the small body size.
minor -- "smaller", smaller growing form.
minusculus -- "tiny", refers to the small size of the body.
mistioensis -- Comes from Misti.
molispina -- "soft, spines".
mollispinus -- "soft, spines"
montevidensis -- Comes from Cerro Montevideo.
monticola -- "mountain ???, inhabitant of", found growing in mountainous areas ???
mosquitensis -- Comes from Cerro Mosquito.
muegelianus -- Misspelling of the following.
mugelianus -- Named to honour Henry Mugli
mueller-melchersii -- Discovered by F.C. Müller-Melchers.
mueller-moelleri -- Discovered by Müller-Mölleri ?
multicolorispinus -- "many, coloured, spines".
multicostatus -- "many, ribs".
multiflorus -- "many, flowers".
muricatus -- "rough with many sharp points".
murielii -- Discovered by Muriel ???
myriacanthus -- "very many, spines", refers to the dense spination.

N

nanus -- "dwarf", usually refers to a smaller body size.
neo -- "new", often used when a plant is moved into a different genus, that already contains a plant with the same name; e.g. when Malacocarpus was reduced to a subgenus of Notocactus, the renamed Malacocarpus horstii would have conflicted with the horstii already in Notocactus. So it was renamed neohorstii.
neoarechavaletae -- New arechavaletae.
neoblaauwianus -- New blaauwianus.
neobuenekeri --New buenekeri.
neohorstii -- New horstii.
neouebelmannianus -- New uebelmannianus.
nigrispinus -- "black, spines" (really means "spines-slightly-darker-than-the-one-I-found-before").
nigroleptacanthus -- "black, slender, spines".
nilsonii -- Discovered by Ari Delmo Nilson.
nivea -- "snow white".
nivosus -- "snow white", refers to the white flower.
notabilis -- "noteworthy".
nugualensis -- Comes from ???

O

obscurus -- "dark".
obtectus -- "covered over, concealed".
oligacanthus -- "few, spines".
olimarensis -- Comes from Olimar.
oreophilus -- "of mountains, loving, growing in", growing in mountainous regions.
orthacanthus -- "straight spined".
ottonis -- Named to honour Christopher Friedrich Otto.
oxycostatus -- "sharp, ribs".
"Ossowski" -- ???

P

palitor -- Misspelling of the next ?
pallidior -- "Pale, pallid"
palomaensis -- Comes from Paloma ???
pampeanus -- ???
pantanoensis -- Comes from Pantano Grande.
paradoxus -- "paradoxical".
paraguayensis -- Coming from Paraguay.
paranaensis -- Comes from Parana, Brazil.
parviflorus -- "small, flower", generally relating to a form/variety with a smaller flower.
parvisetus -- "small, bristles".
parvus -- "small".
pauciareolatus -- "few, areoles".
paucicostatus -- "few, ribs".
paucispinus -- "few, spines"
paulus -- "small"
pelotasensis -- Comes from Pelotas.
permutatus -- Variable, mutable ???
piriapolisensis -- Comes from Piriapolis, Maldonado, Uruguay.
pitcayensis -- Comes from Pitcay ???
placentiformis -- "flat and circular, shaped".
pleiocephalus -- "more than usual, head", refers to the freely offsetting habit.
polancoensis -- Comes from Polanco.
polyacanthus -- "many, spines".
pororensis -- Comes from Pororo, Uruguay.
porphyreus -- "reddish purple".
prestlei -- Discovered by Karl Heinz Prestlé.
prolifer -- "offsetting freely".
pseudoacutus -- "false, acutus", refers to the appearance similar to acutus.
pseudoblaauwianus -- "false, blaauwianus", refers to the appearance similar to blaauwianus.
pseudoeremiticus -- "false, eremiticus", refers to the appearance similar to eremiticus.
pseudograessneri -- "false, graessneri", refers to the appearance similar to graessneri.
pseudoherteri -- "false, herteri", refers to the appearance similar to herteri.
pseudopulvinatus -- "false, pulvinatus", refers to the appearance similar to pulvinatus.
pseudorutilans -- "false, rutilans", refers to the appearance similar to rutilans.
pulchellus -- "small and beautiful".
pulvinatus -- "mound forming", refers to the freely offsetting habit.
purpureiflorus -- "purple, flower".
purpureus -- "purple", refers to the flower colour.

Q

quervosensis -- Comes from Quebrada del Quervos.
quevodoi -- Comes from Quevedos, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil ???

R

ramosus -- "offsetting".
rauschii -- Discovered by Walter Rausch.
ravenditii -- Discovered by Ravendit ???
rechensis -- Comes from Ana Rech, Rio Grande do Sul.
rengglianus -- Named to honour Renggl ???
riosusannaensis -- Comes from Rio Susanna.
ritteri -- Discovered by Ritter.
ritterianus -- Named to honour Friedrich Ritter.
robusta -- "robust".
robustior -- "robust".
robustispinus -- "robust, spines".
robustus -- "robust".
rosea -- "rose coloured".
roseiflorus -- "rose coloured flower".
roseoluteus -- "rose coloured, pale yellow", refers to the two colours of the flower.
roseus -- "rose coloured".
ruberrimus -- "red".
rubescens -- "red".
rubricostatus -- "red, ribs", refers to the tendency of the ribs to turn red in full sun.
rubricurvispinus -- "red, curved spines".
rubriflorus -- "red, flower".
rubrigemmatus -- "red, bearing buds", refers to the distinctive red colour of the flower buds.
rubrispinus -- "red coloured spined".
rubropedatus -- "red, foot", refers to the red colour of the base of the central spines.
rudibuenekeri -- Discovered by Rudi W. Büneker.
ruficeps -- "reddish".
rufispinus -- "reddish, spines".
ruoffii -- Discovered by Heinz Ruoff.
rutilans -- "red and yellow", refers to the flower colouration.

S

sarandiensis -- Comes from Sarandi, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
schaeferianus -- Named to honour Dr. Gerhardt Schäfer.
schlosseri -- Discovered by Hugo Selmar Schlosser.
schuldtii -- Discovered by Schuldt ???
schumannianus -- Named to honour Karl Moritz Schumann.
scopa -- "broom like", refers to the dense spination.
securituberculatus -- "axe shaped tubercles", referring to the sharpness of the ribs.
segredoensis -- Comes from Segredo.
sellowii -- Discovered by Friedrich Sellow.
senescens -- "growing old"
sessiliflorus -- "stalk-less, flower", refers to the very short flower.
seticeps -- "bristly".
setispinus -- "bristly, spines".
setosus -- "bristly, full of".
soldtianus -- Named to honour D.C. von Soldt
spegazzinii -- Named to honour by Carlos Spegazzini
spinibarbis -- "of spines, barbed".
spinosior -- "of spines".
spinosissimus -- "spines, superlative", refers to the larger number of spines.
splendens -- "shining".
stegmannii -- Discovered by H. Stegmann.
stellatus -- "star like".
stenogonus -- "narrow, angle", perhaps refers to the narrower ribs.
stockingeri -- Discovered by Fransisco Stockinger.
storianus -- Named to honour I. Stor.
submammilatus -- Misspelling of submammulosus ?
submammulosus -- "nearly, mammulosus", refers to the appearance similar to N. mammulosus.
subtilispinus -- "fine, delicate, spines"
sucineus -- "amber coloured", refers to the colour of the spination.
sulphureus -- "yellow coloured"
supertextus -- ???

T

tabularis -- "flattened, like a plate", refers to the flattened globular, body shape.
tacuarembensis -- Comes from Tacuarembo, Uruguay.
tenebrosus -- "of dark places".
tenuicylindricus -- "slender, cylindrical", refers to the "slender cylindrical" body shape.
tenuispinus -- "slender, spines".
tephracanthus -- "grey, spines".
tetracanthus --"four, spines", probably relates to a plant with 4 central spines.
theunissianus -- Named to honour J. Theunissen.
tortuosus -- "twisted, full of", refers to the very twisted spination.
tricornis -- "three, spines", probably relates to a plant with 3 central spines.
tunuayensis -- Comes from Tunuay ???
turbinatus -- "shaped like a top".
turecekianus -- Named to honour Victor Turecek

U

uebelmannianus -- Named to honour Werner Uebelmann.
umbrinispinus -- "dark brown, spines".
uruguayanus -- Comes from Uruguay.
uruguayensis -- Comes from Uruguay.
uruguayus -- Comes from Uruguay.

V

vacariensis -- Comes from Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
vanvlietii -- Discovered by Dirk van Vliet.
vargasensis -- Comes from General Vargas/s.Vinc.d.Sul ???
veenianus -- Named to honour L.J. van Veen ???
velenovskyi -- Named to honour Velenovsky.
vencluianus -- Named to honour Franz Venclu.
verbeekianus -- Named to honour J. Verbeek Wolthuys ?
vilanovaensis -- Comes ffrom Vila Nova.
villa-velhensis -- Comes from Villa Velha, Parana, Brazil.
villaseranus -- Comes from Villa Serrana, Uruguay.
viridiflavus -- "green, yellow", probably refers to the colour of the flower.
vorwerkianus -- Named to honour Vorwerk ?
vulgatus -- "common".

W

warasii -- Discovered by Eddie Waras.
websterianus -- Named to honour Webster ???
werdermannianus -- Named to honour Erich Werdermann.
winkleri -- Discovered by Werner Winkler.
wolthuysianus -- Named to honour J. Verbeek Wolthuys ?

X

xicoi -- Named after the pseudonym of Fransisco Stockinger.
xiphacanthus -- "sword shaped, spines".

Y

ycarensis -- Comes from the Cuchilla Yacare, Dept. Artigas, Uguguay.
yerbalitoensis -- Comes from Yerbalito, Uruguay.
yubaldensis -- Comes from ???

Z

zapicanensis -- Comes from Zapican, Uruguay.
zonalis -- "zones, resembling", probably relates to a plant with spination consisting of coloured bands.

References

To build this page I have made extensive use of the following references:

BOTRTS: Roots of Botanical Names -- An excellent resource by Karen Fletcher.
"Botanical Latin" By William T. Stearn
The plant cards from Kakteen und andere Sukkulenten
"Die Gattung Notocactus" by G. Schäfer
"Notokakteen" by N. Gerloff, Jozka Neduchal and S. Stuchlík
"Internoto" 1981-Present
"Cacti" By W. Barthlott
Geographical names -- Excellent site, by Krzysztof Wiktorowski, detailing the geographical etymology of many cactus names.

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