Anagram of Mendoza, a province of Argentina where the genus grows naturally.
Body solitary, spherical to shortly columnar. Ribs numerous on mature plants. Flowers cylindrical, slightly asymmetric, red; perianth segments short and erect with the stamens projecting from the mouth; nectar chamber with collar and hair. Pericarpel and flower tube straight or curved and with scales that are hairy in their axils. Fruit spherical with tufts of hairs, dry, splitting to show white flesh.
A relatively rare genus in collections. There are 2 species: D. rhodacantha (Salm-Dyck) Britton & Rose has 8-10 spines the longest to about 3 cm while D. erythrocephala (K. Schum.) Berger has 30 or more spines that are sometimes up to 6 cm long.
Cylindrical almost closed flowers; spines reddish.
2 species from NW Argentina.
Source: (1997). Cactaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
