Xerophyte

Central Spines

1 to 7, yellowish or brown, expanded basally, straight, elongated, becoming grey as they age, reaching up to 5 cm long, but variable in length.

Description

Echinocereus polyacanthusSN|7070]]SN|7070]] is low growing, solitary or clumping cactus, forming large cushions, generally less than 50, but occasionally of several hundred stems. This species is very variable, and the several varieties are so different-looking that the only uniting factor is the bright red bloom and rounded petals.

Flowers

Diurnal, arising near the stem's apex, tubular to funnel-form, brilliant pinkish-orange to deep red with a yellowish or whitish colored throat, 3-14 cm long, 3-8 cm in diameter, ovary and tube with yellowish spines and abundant cobwebby wool in the axil of the scales, which is lacking in other similar species.

Blooming Season

Apr-Jun, the flowers remain open for 2 or 3 days. Blooming generally begins 5 to 10 years after sowing, as the plant matures.

Ribs

9 to 13, usually 10 well defined ones, low, either tuberculate or not.

Stem

Light green, often tinged with red, cylindrical tapering toward the tip, each stem up to 30 cm tall, 7 cm in diameter.

Radial Spines

6 to 17 (usually about 12), dirty white or reddish, often overlapping, up to 2 cm long but often much shorter.

Fruits

Ovoid, green, with white pulp, indehisent and edible.

Areoles

Approximately 1-1.5 cm apart, and somewhat woolly.