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 Spines Anthony Mendoza @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Attribution-Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC) | | | | | |
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Origin:
Native Similar Species: Echinocereus fasciculatus
General Desc:
Open or dense clusters, stems numbering up to 30. Many long spines give the plant a shaggy look.
Identification notes: Shaggy appearance compared to E. fasciculatus . The longest dagger-like central spine is flattened and white with a little twist.
Height:
1 foot
Width:
3 feet
Habitat Description: Sandy and rocky flats, hillsides, desert plains, gravelly slopes and mesas.
Plant Communities:
Desert Scrub, Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands
Elevation: Below 5000 feet
Color:
Pinkish-purple
Flowering Period:
Feb - May
Description:
Earliest cactus to bloom in spring. Produces cup-shaped, 3 inch wide blooms for several days. Shows varying shades of magenta (pinkish-purple) with a green stigma in the center.
Flowers close at night. Borne at the upper half to one third of the stems
Stem Color:
Green
Number of Stems:
Multiple
Stem Shape:
Cylindrical
Stems Segmented:
N
Stem Surface:
Ribbed
Stem Description:
Usually 1 - 25 uncrowded stems, mostly erect, cylindric or somewhat tapering. 10 - 13 somewhat wavy ribs per stem. Many long spines obscure the stem color.
(structures unique to cacti, found on the stems, areas from which spines, flowers and fruits emerge)
Areole Description:
Circular or nearly so with 6 - 12 radial spines and 2-6 central spines, white felt first year.
Spine Color:
Color varies from whitish to golden yellow to pinkish to black.
Spines Hooked:
N
Spine Description:
Central spines often fading whitish, stout but flexible, often curved or twisted, usually flattened at the base, to 2 inches long. Radial spines similar but smaller, to 1 inch long. Spines can be bicolored or multicolored.
Fruit Color: Green to red
Fruit Notes: Spiny subspherical to ovoid fruit to 1-1/4 inch long by 1 inch wide varying in color from green when young to red when mature. Fruit sheds spines at maturity.
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