GENUS STENOCACTUS
Subfamilia Cactoideae, tribus Cacteae
synonym : Echinofossulocactus sensu Britton & Rose.
The genus Stenocactus includes 8 species, the status of one is uncertain.
This small Mexican genus is so poorly understood, even its name is in controversy. Most Stenocactus sp. are very variable and many of the numerous names are inadequately characterized. They can not be positively idantified and should be discarded, (The New Cactus Lexicon, 2006).
The type species is Stenocactus coptonogonus. Stenocactus name is derived Greek stenos, means narrow, referring to the many narrow ribs. Its close relative is Ferocactus. The distribution of the genus is primarily the Chihuahuan Desert of northern and central Mexico.
The species are mostly globular and extremely variable in their vegetative characters, and so many species names have been proposed in the time.
Stenocactus is popular within the hobbyists and relatively easy in cultivation. They have very individual, sinuous ribs, often numbering 40 or 50. Short, funnel shaped, diurnal flowers come late summer. The species show very slow rate of growth and need for an open, well-drained, gritty soil-mixture.
I follow The New Cactus Lexicon (2006), for the species names of the genus Stenocactus.
SPECIES LIST
1 S.coptonogonus 2 S.crispatus 3 S.multicostatus 4 S.obvallatus 5 S.ochoterenanus 6 S.phyllacanthus 7 S.sulphureus * 8 S.vaupelianus
(*) provisionaly accepted.

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