Aylostera

Aylostera
	Aylostera deminuta
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Tribe:	Cereeae
Subtribe:	Rebutiinae
Genus:	Aylostera; Speg.
Type species
	Aylostera deminuta ;
Synonyms
	Digitorebutia Frič & Kreuz. ex Buining ; Mediolobivia Backeb. ;

Aylostera, is a genus of cactus, native to central Bolivia and north western Argentina.^[1] Aylostera was formerly sunk into a broadly circumscribed genus Rebutia, but molecular phylogenetic studies from 2007 onwards showed that when defined in this way, Rebutia was not monophyletic, leading to the resurrection of Aylostera.

Description

Aylostera species are small cacti with globular stems. The stems may or may not have ribs; this feature can vary even within a species. Their flowers are of various colours. A key feature that distinguishes Aylostera from Rebutia is that the pericarpels and receptacles (which together form a structure that is often referred to as the 'flower tube') are hairy, rather than glabrous.^[2]

Taxonomy

The genus Aylostera was erected by Carlo Luigi Spegazzini in 1923.^[1] A historical summary of the treatment of Aylostera and related genera published in 2011 showed how in succession it was recognized, sunk into Rebutia, and then resurrected to include a large part of Rebutia.^[3] A phylogenetic study in 2016 using both molecular and morphological characters confirmed that Aylostera was monophyletic and distantly related to the clade that contains the type species of Rebutia, thus justifying recognizing it as a separate genus.^[2] The separate status of Aylostera is accepted by Plants of the World Online, as of December 2024^[update].^[1]

Species

The number of species accepted in Aylostera varies considerably. The 2016 study of the genus accepted only nine species, including a very broadly circumscribed Aylostera deminuta.^[2] As of December 2024^[update], Plants of the World Online accepted 26 species:^[1]

Image	Scientific name	Distribution
	Aylostera albiflora (F.Ritter & Buining) Backeb.	Bolivia.
	Aylostera albopectinata (Rausch) Mosti & Papini	Bolivia.
	Aylostera atrovirens (Backeb.) Mosti & Papini	Bolivia to Argentina
	Aylostera deminuta (F.A.C.Weber) Backeb.	Bolivia to Argentina
	Aylostera einsteinii (Frič) Mosti & Papini	Bolivia to Argentina
	Aylostera fiebrigii (Gürke) Backeb.	Bolivia to Argentina
	Aylostera flavistyla (F.Ritter) Mosti & Papini	Bolivia
	Aylostera fusca (F.Ritter) Mosti & Papini	Bolivia.
	Aylostera heliosa (Rausch) Mosti & Papini	Bolivia.
	Aylostera hoffmannii (Diers & Rausch) Mosti & Papini	Bolivia to Argentina (Salta)
	Aylostera kupperiana (Boed.) Backeb.	Bolivia (Tarija)
	Aylostera leucanthema (Rausch) Mosti & Papini	Bolivia (Chuquisaca)
	Aylostera malochii (Slaba & Lad.Fisch.) Ritz	Bolivia.
	Aylostera mamillosa (Rausch) Mosti & Papini	Bolivia
	Aylostera mandingaensis R.Wahl & Jucker	Bolivia.
	Aylostera muscula (F.Ritter & P.Thiele) Backeb.	Bolivia (Tarija)
	Aylostera narvaecense Cárdenas	Bolivia (Tarija)
	Aylostera nigricans (Wessner) Mosti & Papini	Argentina
	Aylostera perplexa (Donald) Mosti & Papini	Bolivia.
	Aylostera pseudominuscula (Speg.) Speg.	Bolivia to Argentina
	Aylostera pulvinosa (F.Ritter & Buining) Backeb.	Bolivia (Tarija)
	Aylostera pygmaea (R.E.Fr.) Mosti & Papini	Bolivia to Argentina
	Aylostera spinosissima (Backeb.) Backeb.	Bolivia.
	Aylostera steinmannii (Solms) Backeb.	Bolivia to Argentina
	Aylostera tarvitaensis (F.Ritter) Mosti & Papini	Bolivia.
	Aylostera tuberosa (F.Ritter) Backeb.	Bolivia.

Distribution and habitat

Aylostera species are native to Bolivia and north-western Argentina.^[1] They are found on the cordilleras to the east of the Andes, from 17° south to 26° south, in montane dry forests, shrublands and dry puna grasslands.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Aylostera". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Ritz, C.M.; Fickenscher, K.; Föller, J.; Herrmann, K.; Mecklenburg, R.; Wahl, R. (2016). "Molecular phylogenetic relationships of the Andean genus Aylostera Speg. (Cactaceae, Trichocereeae), a new classification and a morphological identification key". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 302 (7): 763–780. Bibcode:2016PSyEv.302..763R. doi:10.1007/s00606-016-1296-4. S2CID 16873446.
^ Mosti, Stefano; Bandara, Nadeesha Lewke & Papini, Alessio (2011), "Further insights and new combinations in Aylostera (Cactaceae) based on molecular and morphological data", Pakistan Journal of Botany, 43 (6): 2769–2785, retrieved 2013-03-19

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[Powo-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Aylostera". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 15 December 2024.

[Ritz16-2] Ritz, C.M.; Fickenscher, K.; Föller, J.; Herrmann, K.; Mecklenburg, R.; Wahl, R. (2016). "Molecular phylogenetic relationships of the Andean genus Aylostera Speg. (Cactaceae, Trichocereeae), a new classification and a morphological identification key". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 302 (7): 763–780. Bibcode:2016PSyEv.302..763R. doi:10.1007/s00606-016-1296-4. S2CID 16873446.

[MostBandPapi11-3] Mosti, Stefano; Bandara, Nadeesha Lewke & Papini, Alessio (2011), "Further insights and new combinations in Aylostera (Cactaceae) based on molecular and morphological data", Pakistan Journal of Botany, 43 (6): 2769–2785, retrieved 2013-03-19

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