Xerophyte

Central Spines

0 to 3 darker, becoming lighter with age, rigid, straight or curved up to 4 cm long, porrect or ascending. In some areloes accompanied by short accessory centrals.

Description

Echinocereus fendleriSN|7149]]SN|7149]] is a low growing, scrubby cactus, that grows solitary or in small clumps with 5 to 20 stems. The classic fendleri form has huge violet-purple flowers and attractive white/black spination. The forma variegata has sectors, patches or stripes with pale yellow colours, even distinct shades of green. Plants with variegated stems are often attractive and highly prized. A very few variegated plants sprout unpredictably time by time among normal green seedling and are very rare. Variegated plants are also found in habitat even though with low frequency, but these plants are particularly sensitive and rarely survive in the harsh environment of their native land.

Flowers

Close to the stem tips, funnelform, 7 cm in diameter purple-violet, throat sometimes darker or purplish maroon. The stigma is green, and there is a very large number of stamens.

Blooming Season

April to June.

Ribs

9 to 13, with sinus between areoles.

Stem

10 to 30 cm tall, 5 to 7 cm in diameter somewhat flaccid ovoid to cylindric with age green with pale yellow zones .

Radial Spines

5 to 11 radials, 3 to 20 mm long, spreading, opaquely white.

Fruits

2,5-5 cm long, 12 mm in diameter, edible, bright red, dull carmine, or purplish maroon, less often orange-tan or purplish orange, pulp magenta or red.

Areoles

Circular areoles 8 to 17 mm apart.