Tephrocactus paediophilus
(A.Cast.) F.Ritter (1980)
Etymology
🌵 Author(s) | Friedrich Ritter | 🌵 Published in | Kakteen Südamerika 2: 395 (1980) |
🌵 Basionym | Opuntia paediophila (1950) |
🌵 Basionym author(s) | Alberto Castellanos |
Apparently Greek paidion ‘small child’ + Greek philos ‘friend’ (cf. Gymnocalycium paediophilum), but according to Crook & Mottram (Bradleya 19: 92. 2001) the first part of the name is supposed to be Greek pedion ‘plain’. For the occurence on plains? Compare Spanish pediófilo ‘plain-loving’. If the latter explanation is correct, the epithet is probably correctable to pediophila under article 60.1 of the International Code of Nomenclature. Castellanos not seen.