Xerophyte

Central Spines

1-5 per areole, 55-95 mm long, divergent, porrect, flattened, stout, and slightly curved, opaque, white, tan, brown or grey, often nearly black.Flowers. Funnelform 7-11 cm in diameter, purple-red to pink in varying shades with deep reddish throat, and diurnal. Filaments greenish to pink. Anthers yellow. Stigma green. Style whitish.

Seeds

1,0-1,4 mm, black irregular, globular, or ovoid tuberculate.

Description

Echinocereus enneacanthusSN|7930]]SN|7930]] is a caespitose cactus forming dense or lax clumps either loose decumbent, or erect with 20-100(-500) branches, usually branching before flowering. Two subspecies are recognized, the nominate form and subsp. brevispinus.

Blooming Season

It flowers in early spring (April through June in habitat) during mid-morning. Flowers close at night and reopen for 2-4 days. The fruits ripen in late summer.

Crested Growth

This is one of the nicest crested cacti that on rare occasions develops. Crested plants often results in several flowers appearing at one time along the line meristem. It is best maintained by grafting it on to a columnar stock (e.g. Trichocereus, Harrisia, Myrtillocactus).

Ribs

7-12 with uninterrupted but prominent warty crests.

Stem

Cylindrical, the longest sometimes prostrate, 5-14 cm diameter up to over 100 cm long (but usually much shorter). The stems of this species are soft or flaccid, pale to bright green and often remain wrinkled.

Radial Spines

5-9 per areole, 25-45 mm long, straight or slightly curved, needle-like, more or less flattened, bulbous at the base, brownish, often tipped or banded with darker brown.

Fruits

Round to ovoid pale yellow-green or dull reddish, , maturing to bright red, 20-30 mm, pulp white or pale pink. The fruit is edible. After the spines are removed from the green-brown flesh of the fruit, it can be eaten and tastes similar to strawberry, hence the name strawberry cactus.

Areoles

Circular 18-52 mm apart.