Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Pima Pineapple Cactus

Coryphantha scheeri var. robustispina

(Schott ex Engelm.) L. Benson

Pima Pineapple Cactus

T2T2 (G4T2Q) Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
T2T2Global Rank
Very highThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.140337
Element CodePDCAC040C1
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationVariety
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
CITESAppendix II
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderCaryophyllales
FamilyCactaceae
GenusCoryphantha
Synonyms
Coryphantha robustispina ssp. robustispina
Other Common Names
long-tubercle beehive cactus (EN) Long-tubercle Beehive Cactus (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
FNA (2003) elevates var. robustispina to a species but lumps var. valida with var. robustispina, distinct varieties in Kartesz (1994).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2016-02-17
Change Date1999-08-12
Edition Date2016-02-17
Edition AuthorsLAMBERT, A., rev. Maybury (1996), rev. K. Gravuer (2005), rev. S. Schuetze (2012), rev. A. Frances (2013), rev. A. Treher (2016)
Threat ImpactVery high
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 300
Rank Reasons
Most sources estimate that there are few remaining populations. Many known sites apparently have few individuals, and few populations are protected. Total population is difficult to estimate, as plants are very sparsely distributed and difficult to locate in the field. The range has been delimited by relatively thorough survey, and is bounded by the Santa Rita mountains (east), the Baboquivari mountains (west), and Tucson (north) in Arizona; it extends south a short distance into Sonora, Mexico. Total range is approximately 70 km east-west by 80 km north-south, although there are large areas of unsuitable habitat within these boundaries. The plant is known to be declining; loss of habitat due to urban development is the primary threat. Losses of habitat due to road construction, agriculture, mining, and off-road vehicle use are also important threats, as is habitat degradation due to livestock grazing and non-native grass invasion. Illegal collection of plants also occurs.
Range Extent Comments
In Arizona, its known range is bounded by Santa Cruz County, Santa Rita mountains (east), Pima County, Baboquivari mountains (west), and Tucson (north) (Arizona Game and Fish Department 2001). Range extends into northern Sonora, Mexico; Mexican range is about the same size or somewhat smaller than U.S. range (Dicht and Lüthy 2005, map pg. 81). Occurs in a defined area spreading about 70 km east-west and 80 km north-south (Dicht and Lüthy 2005). There was one occurrence confirmed in Texas (specimen collected in 1980, several professionals agree on the identification), which has since been extirpated (Debbie Benesh pers. comm. 9/00).
Occurrences Comments
There are over 130 element occurrences in Arizona, 50 of which have been observed within the last decade (NatureServe Central Database 2013). Also, one extirpated occurrence in Texas (Debbie Benesh, pers. comm. 9/00).
Threat Impact Comments
Loss of habitat due to urban development is the primary threat, as the human population within this plant's range (especially in the vicinity of Tucson, Green Valley, and Nogales, AZ) is growing rapidly. Losses of habitat due to road construction, agriculture, mining, and off-road vehicle use are also important threats. Historical and present overuse or misuse of the habitat by livestock degrades much of the remaining areas. In addition, up to 75% of the plant's habitat has been significantly altered by the introduction of Lehmann's lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana), which overruns the open microsites that this plant prefers and alters fire ecology in a way that adversely impacts it. Illegal collection of plants is a documented occurrence as well (Arizona Game and Fish Department 2001, Rice 2002). Genetic variability is currently being assessed (Butterworth 2010) but difficult to ascertain due to taxonomic uncertainties.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

It grows in alluvial valleys, mesas, and hillsides in desert, desert grassland, or southwestern oak woodlands (Sonoran desert scrub or the ecotone between desert scrub and desert grassland) at 700-1500 m. Soils range from shallow to deep, and silty to rocky, with a preference for silty to gravelly deep alluvial soils. It occurs most often on flat ridgetops or in areas with less than 10-15% slope. Topography is often complex within the range with large areas of unsuitable habitat (in rolling hilly habitats, it has been found only on flat hilltops and not slopes or drainages separating hilltops, nor is it found in riparian areas). It does not occur in mountainous areas including the Sierrita, Baboquivari, Santa Rita, Quinlan, Coyote, Atascosa, Pajarito, Cerro Colorado, San Luis, and Tumacacori mountains (USFWS 1993). In an analysis of habitat associations, McPherson (2002) concluded that the taxon is positively associated with coppice mounds (piles of fine surface material), gravel and litter, moderate cover of herbs and woody shrubs (desert zinnia (Zinnia sp.), snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae), burroweed (Isocoma tenuisectus), and buckwheat (Eriogonum spp.)); but these only accounted for 25% of occurrence variability. It is also associated with a surface geology of alluvium of a wide variety of ages more than other geological surfaces, however this type of surface geology is common throughout the range (and therefore not limiting) (USFWS 2007).

Ecology

Little is known about its fire ecology but studies of similar succulent cacti have shown that small cacti show high mortality rates when exposed directly to high temperatures from fire (Thomas 1991); although this taxon has evolved in an area of fire-adapted semi-arid grasslands. More studies are needed to determine if fire is detrimental to the taxon (USFWS 1993).

In Coryphantha robustispina extrafloral nectary glands are always present, and this character helps distinguish it from others in the genus (Dicht and Luthy 2005). It is widely known that these extrafloral nectary glands attract ants due to their high concentrations of carbohydrates, and the ants act as bodyguards for the plants.

Reproduction

Blooms from June through August, but flowers bloom for one day only (McDonald and McPherson 2005). The fruits of this species are described as succulent and juicy (USFWS federal register documents). Fruits are eaten and dispersed by a variety of small- to medium-sized animals, including rabbits, squirrels, birds, and even ants (McDonald 2007).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandWoodland - MixedGrassland/herbaceousDesert
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentPervasive (71-100%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh - moderate
1.1 - Housing & urban areasPervasive (71-100%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh - moderate
2 - Agriculture & aquaculturePervasive - largeModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh - moderate
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber cropsPervasive - largeModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh - moderate
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingPervasive - largeModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh - moderate
3 - Energy production & miningPervasive - largeModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
3.2 - Mining & quarryingPervasive - largeModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
4 - Transportation & service corridorsPervasive - largeModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh - moderate
4.1 - Roads & railroadsPervasive - largeModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh - moderate
5 - Biological resource usePervasive - largeModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5.2 - Gathering terrestrial plantsPervasive - largeModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbancePervasive - largeModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesPervasive - largeModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsPervasive - largeModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionPervasive - largeModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesPervasive - largeExtreme or 71-100% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesPervasive - largeExtreme or 71-100% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, Long-lived
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
Arizona (2)
AreaForestAcres
Santa RitaCoronado National Forest6,078
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
References (20)
  1. Arizona Game and Fish Department. 2001. <i>Coryphantha scheeri </i>var. <i>robustispina</i>. Unpublished abstract compiled and edited by the Heritage Data Managment System, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ. 5 pp.
  2. Baker, J. 2004. Phenetic analysis of Coryphantha, section Robustispina (Cactaceae), part 1: Stem characters. Final report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tucson, Arizona. 21 pp.
  3. Benson, L. 1982. The Cacti of the United States and Canada. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. 1044 pp.
  4. Butterworth, C.A. 2010. Isolation and characterization of 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci in <i>Coryphantha robustispina</i> ssp. <i>robustispina</i>. Conservation Genetics Resources Online first (DOI 10.1007/s12686-010-9333-z).
  5. Dicht, R.F., and A.D. Lüthy. 2005. <i>Coryphantha; </i>cacti of Mexico and southern USA. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg. 200 pp.
  6. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2003b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 4, Magnoliophyta: Caryophyllidae, part 1. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 559 pp.
  7. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  8. Kartesz, J. T., and C. Meacham. 1999. Unpublished review draft of Floristic Synthesis, 10Jun99 and/or 16Jun99. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill.
  9. Kearney, T.H., R.H. Peebles, and collaborators. 1951. Arizona flora. 2nd edition with Supplement (1960) by J.T. Howell, E. McClintock, and collaborators. Univ. California Press, Berkeley. 1085 pp.
  10. McDonald, C. 2007. Pima Pineapple Cactus: A unique cactus hiding in plain sight. The Plant Press Arizona Native Plant Society 31(1): 1-4.
  11. McDonald, C.J. and G. R. McPherson. 2005. Pollination of Pima Pineapple Cactus (<i>Coryphantha scheeri </i>var. <i>robustispina): </i>Does pollen flow limit abundance of this endangered species?. USDA Forest Service Proceedings RMRS-P-36. Accessed online on 1.24.2011 http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/23326
  12. McPherson, G.R. 2002. Relationship of ecological variables in the field with the presence of Pima pineapple cactus. Report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under agreement 1448-20181-01-J818. 4 pp.
  13. Rice, K. C. 2002. Center for Plant Conservation National Collection Plant Profile: <i>Coryphantha scheeri </i>var. <i>robustispina</i>. Online. Available: http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/ASP/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=1087 (Accessed 2005).
  14. Schmalzel, R.J., R.T. Nixon, A.L. Best, and J.A. Tress, Jr. 2004. Morphometric variation in <i>Coryphantha robustispina </i>(Cactaceae). Systematic Botany 29(3):553-568.
  15. Thomas, P.A. 1991. Response of succulents to fire: A review. International Journal of Wildland Fire 1(1):11-22.
  16. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1992. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposal to list the plant <i>Coryphantha scheeri </i>var. <i>robustispina</i> (pima pineapple cactus) as Endangered. Federal Register 57(76):14374-14378.
  17. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1993. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered status for the plant pima pineapple cactus (<i>Coryphantha scheeri </i>var. <i>robustispina</i>). Federal Register 58(183):49875-49880.
  18. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2005. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 5-year review of lesser long-nosed bat, black-capped vireo, Yuma clapper rail, pima pineapple cactus, gypsum wild-buckwheat, Mesa Verde cactus, and Zuni fleabane. Federal Register 71(21):5460-5463.
  19. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2007. 5 Year Review of Pima Pineapple cactus <i>Coryphantha scheeri </i> var. <i>robustispina.</i> Accessed online on 1/24/11 at: http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/five_year_review/doc1041.pdf.
  20. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2007. Pima pineapple cactus (<i>Coryphantha scheeri</i> var. robustispina) 5-year review: Summary and evaluation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, West Valley City, Utah. 17 pp.