Other cacti in habitat
Frailea cataphracta (Dams) Britton & Rose
The first description was published by Dams as Echinocactus cataphractus in the monthly Kakteenkunde ("cacti lore") 14 in 1904. Britton and Rose established the genus Frailea in 1923 and Frailea cataphracta was made a character species for the newly created genus. The flat, globose plants grow up to 40 mm and do usually not sprout in nature. Prominent crescent-shaped red-brown blots are situated below the areoles. The species grows in the Cordilleras of Altos Paraguay, often at the edge of sandstone plates. During 2006, we found a population situated 300 kilometres north of previously known habitats that are attributed to the sphere of F. cataphracta. Plants can be found in fine arenaceous or fine grained grounds, often on plates of sandstone, covered by grasses and other plants. The generally small habitats are often threatened by agriculture and fire clearing.
