Xerophyte

Habit

It forms low, loose mounds of 5-15(-35) stems up to 20 cm tall , width 1 metre branching at or before sexual maturation.

Central Spines

1 to 3 (often absent) per areole, very short, straight, erect, rigid, stout, mostly descending, white or pale grey, often brown to black especially at bases or tips, (2-)5-7(-10) mm long. (The long-spined var. apachensis has longer central spines sometimes curved or twisted)

Description

Echinocereus fasciculatusSN|18748]]SN|18730]] var. bonkerae (Syn

Flowers

Borne on the upper half of the stems, broadly funnelform, magenta to reddish purple, 5-7 cm long and 4-9 cm in diameter. Flower tube 12-20 long 10-30 mm in cross section with hairs up to 1 mm long. Inner perianth segments deep magenta (to dark purple) with darker midstripes, basally green to very dark purple, 20-60 × 8.5-20 mm, tips relatively thin and delicate. Anthers yellow; nectar chamber 2-4 mm.

Blooming Season

Spring (in habitat Mar-May); fruiting 2 months after flowering.

Chromosome Number

2n = 22.

Ribs

(11-)12-18(-20), not distinctly tuberculate, crests slightly undulate.

Stem

Ovoid to Cylindrical, mostly erect, green, 12-20(-30) cm long, 4-7,5 cm in diameter, with spines not obscuring the stems.

Radial Spines

(9-)11-14(-16), whitish, yellowish or brown, often becoming grey, spreading to almost pectinately arranged, all straight, (5-)12-18(-20) mm long.

Fruits

Globose, 15-25 mm, green, becoming red or orange red, fleshy. pulp white or pale pink.

Areoles

8-20 mm apart.