Echinocereus Genus
Cactus Family
Echinocereus are the hedgehog cacti, so named because of their distinctive mounded shape. Stems are roughly cylindrical in cross section, densely spines. Glochids (minute spines) are absent from aeroles. Contrast opuntia, where glochids are present in aeroles. Aeroles occur on the crests of the ribs. Stems are generally more than 4 cm in diameter. Plant is less than 40 cm tall when flowering.
| Echinocereus | coccineus Scarlet Beehive Cactus |
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| Echinocereus coccineus (echinos -spine, coccineus - scarlet), Scarlet Beehive was seen on the Bright Angel Trail from the South Rim of Grand Canyon, Arizona, in early May, along the west foothills of the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque, New Mexico at 6,500 feet, and on the West slopes of Atalaya Mountain just east of Santa Fe, New Mexico. These occur in open desert scrubland or in the Pinyon Juniper zone of the lower mountain foothills. | |||||
Echinocereus |
engelmanii Strawberry Hedgehog
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Echinocereus engelmanii (echinos -spine), Strawberry Hedgehog, was observed at the Sonoran Desert Museum west of Tucson, Arizona, and in the West Tucson Mountains at elevations near 3,000 feet. |
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Echinocereus |
fendleri Fendler's Hedgehog |
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| Echinocereus |
stramineus Strawberry Haystack
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| Echinocereus stramineus (straw colored), Strawberry Haystack, observed in the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas, and on Virgin Mesa above San Ysidro, New Mexico. Straw colored very dense spines present. | |||||
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| Echinocereus | triglochidiatus Claret Cup Cactus |
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| Echinocereus | viridiflorus Nylon Hedgehog |
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Nylon Hedgehog Cactus, Echinocereus viridiflorus (green flowers) , growing with Yucca glauca, Soapweed Yucca, in Garden of the Gods, 6,400 Feet. The arrangement looks like the yucca is a nurse plant for the hedgehog. Two specimens are shown. The first plant is 100 mm wide and 110 mm high. Flower width is 19mm, height is 22 mm. Aerole distance at top about 10 mm. at base 20 mm. Spines, a few central 16 mm long, and about 13 radial. Second plant. Second plant is 90 mm wide, including the flowers. Plant Body width is 39 mm. flower width 25 mm, height 27 mm. no central spines. about 10 radial spines/aerole each 5 mm long. |
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