Xerophyte

Central Spines

up to 4 per areole, yellow or straw coloured, terete or somewhat flattenedn curved or slightly hooked, principal central spine thin more or less flattened, 5-10 cm long, 0,4-3 mm broad, more or less flexible.

Seeds

About 1 mm long, shiny black, pitted.

Description

Ferocactus hamatacanthusSN|3403]]SN|3403]] subsp. sinuatus is a smaller version of Ferocactus hamatacanthusSN|3403]]SN|3403]]. The two subspecies are geographically separated at east and south of the Pecos River.

Roots

Diffuse.

Flowers

Near apical in a ring, funnelform, pale yellow 6-7,5 long, 7-9 cm across. Filaments yellow to orange-yellow, anthers and pollen yellow. Stigma stigma yellow wit 8-10 lobes.

Spines

12-16 per areole.

Ribs

typically 13 ( to 17), narrowly compressed, and acute at the crest, somewhat undulate to deeply crenate and slightly tuberculate.

Stem

Spheric to ovoid, dark green to grey-green 10-30 cm tall, 7,5-20 cm across.

Fruits

Globose to elongate, 20-45 mm long, 10-35 mm in diameter, green, yellow-green, or olive becoming dark brownish red at maturity. The fruit of this species is unlike that of most other species of the genus; the skin is thin and the flesh juicy and edible.

Habit

Solitary, or sparsely clumping.

Blooming Season

Early summer to autumn in succession.

Radial Spines

8-12 terete, grey to reddish, especially near the stem apex upper ascending, lower descending, laterals appressed, 3,5-7,0 cm long.

Areoles

Circular to elliptic 1-3 cm apart, young ones with white, yellow or grey felt with elongated glands, 2 to 4 mm long between the flower and the spines; these at first are soft, but in age become hard and spine like.