Echinocereus dahliiflorus

Echinocereus dahliiflorus ('dahliaeflorus') K.Schum., nom. nugax (1900) Etymology

Dahlia + Latin –florus ‘-flowered’. An April Fools’ Day prank name for a fictional cactus with the flowers of a cactus dahlia (Dahlia Cactus Group). Britton & Rose (Cactaceae 3. 1922): “Echinocereus dahliaeflorus, with an illustration, appeared in a reputable Garden Magazine (Möllers Deutsche Gärt. Zeit. 15: 148. 1900), issued on April 1st. The April Fool joke is so cleverly concealed that the editor deceived himself, for he carefully indexed the name at the end of the year. The name is to be ignored.”

The original spelling dahliaeflorus is correctable to dahliiflorus under article 60.10 of the International Code of Nomenclature.

The English name dahlia cactus for Echinocereus poselgeri refers to the tuberous roots rather than the flowers.