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• Physical Description
• Distribution
• Reproduction
• Growth
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Taxonomy

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication: Cact. gen. sp. nov. 19. 1839

Name verified on 04-Dec-2007 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 04-Dec-2007

Physical Description

Family Cactaceae:

Fleshy perennials, shrubs, trees or vines, terrestrial or epiphytic. Stems jointed, terete, globose, flattened, or fluted, mostly leafless and variously spiny. Leaves alternate, flat or subulate to terete, vestigial, or entirely absent; spines, glochids (easily detached, small, bristlelike spines), and flowers always arising from cushionlike, axillary areoles (modified short shoots) . Flowers solitary, sessile, rarely clustered and stalked (in Pereskia), bisexual, rarely unisexual, actinomorphic or occasionally zygomorphic. Receptacle tube (hypanthium or perianth tube) absent or short to elongate, naked or invested with leaflike bracts, scales, areoles, and hairs, bristles, or spines; perianth segments usually numerous, in a sepaloid to petaloid series. Stamens numerous, variously inserted in throat and tube; anthers 2-loculed, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary (pericarpel) inferior, rarely superior, 1-loculed, with 3 to many parietal (rarely basal) placentas; ovules usually numerous; style 1; stigmas 2 to numerous, papillate, rarely 2-fid. Fruit juicy or dry, naked, scaly, hairy, bristly, or spiny, indehiscent or dehiscent, when juicy then pulp derived from often deliquescent funicles (except in Pereskia) . Seeds usually numerous, often arillate or strophiolate; embryo curved or rarely straight; endosperm present or absent; cotyledons reduced or vestigial, rarely leaflike.

About 110 genera and more than 1000 species: temperate and tropical America; Rhipsalis baccifera (J. S. Mueller) Stearn native in tropical Africa, Madagascar, Comoros, Mascarenes, and Sri Lanka; some species of other genera now extensively naturalized in the Old World through human agency; more than 60 genera and 600 species cultivated as ornamentals or hedges in China, of which four genera and seven species more or less naturalized.^[1]

Genus Echinocactus:

Plants erect, branched or unbranched, forming compact mounds of 30+ branches, not deep-seated in substrate (or deep-seated in E. texensis and, if plants immature or at high altitude, in E. horizonthalonius). Roots diffuse or short taproots. Stems unsegmented, gray-blue, gray-green, yellow-green, or grass green, flat-topped spheric to short cylindric, 4-40(-45) [-250] × 8-30[-80] cm, apical region appearing copiously woolly (shortly velvety in E. texensis) [glabrous]; ribs (7-) 8-27[-60+], very prominent, straight (or only slightly undulate), sometimes helically curving around stems, broadly rounded to nearly keeled, rib crests uninterrupted or ± constricted between areoles; areoles widely spaced or confluent with age, nearly circular to oblong, with fertile portion as short, broad adaxial prolongation confluent with spine cluster; areolar glands absent; cortex and pith hard, not mucilaginous. Spines (5-) 7-19 per areole, straw colored, pink, red, gray, tan, or brown, conspicuously annulate-ridged, rigid, stiff; radial spines 5-14 per areole, straight to curved, 2-5 cm; central spines 1-4 per areole, straight to curved, terete, flattened, or abaxially ridged. Flowers diurnal, near stem apex, near adaxial edges of short adaxial extensions of areoles, broadly funnelform to nearly salverform (more narrowly funnelform in E. texensis) ; outer tepals margins entire, apically spinose; inner tepals yellow or pink to magenta, 2.4-3.2 × 0.3-1.5 cm, margins entire, serrate, toothed, or erose; ovary scaly, spineless, copiously woolly, with white or pale tan hairs from areoles hiding ovary and flower tube at anthesis; scales 8-60, margins entire or fimbriate, spine-tipped; stigma lobes 6-14(-17), yellow, pink, or olive, 1-4.5 mm. Fruits either indehiscent or rupturing irregularly, or tardily dehiscent through basal abscission pore, whitish tan to pinkish (bright red in E. texensis), spheric to ovoid or ovoid-cylindric, 10-50 × 10-40[-100] mm, usually nearly dry (strongly succulent in E. texensis), many scaled; axils of scales copiously woolly (wool hiding surface of fruits except in E. texensis), spineless, distal scales spine-tipped; pulp red; floral remnant persistent. Seeds reddish brown to black, spheric, or subreniform to obovoid, 2.4-4.7 mm, shiny or dull; testa cells convex or flat. x = 11.

Species 6: sw United States, Mexico.

With the exception of the much-branched Echinocactus polycephalus, species of Echinocactus in the flora area are almost never branched, and will die instead of producing a lateral bud when the apex is injured. Smaller than normal fruits of Echinocactus are usually aborted and hollow as the result of infestation by insect larvae (M. Chamberland, pers. comm.).^[2]

Habit: Shrub , Subshrub

Flowers: Bloom Period: March, April, May. • Flower Color: magenta, pink

Distribution

Range and Population

North America

Native: Coahuila, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Sonora, Texas.

Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Culture: Space 9-12" apart.

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun.

Moisture: Drought Tolerance: High

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. (map)

Similar Species

Members of the genus Echinocactus:

There are approximately 1,066 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: E. grandis polycormus · E. horizonthalonius jarmilae · E. johnsonii lutescens · E. johnsonii octocentrus · E. myriostigma coahuilensis · E. myriostigma potosinus · E. myriostigma quadricostatus · E. wislizeni tiburonensis · E. acanthion · E. acanthodes var. rostii · E. acanthostephes · E. aciculatus · E. acifer · E. acroacanthus · E. acrocanthus · E. acuatus · E. acuatus f. erinacea · E. acuatus f. erinaceus · E. acuatus var. arechavaletae · E. acuatus var. corynodes · E. acuatus var. depressus · E. acuatus var. erinaceus · E. acuatus var. sellowii · E. acuatus var. spinosior · E. acuatus var. tetracantha · E. acuatus var. tetracanthus · E. acutangulus · E. acutissimus · E. adversispinus · E. agglomeratus · E. alamosanus · E. albatus · E. allardtianus · E. alteolens · E. amambayensis · E. amazonicus · E. ambiguus · E. ancylacanthus · E. andreae · E. anfractuosus · E. anfractuosus var. ensiferus · E. anfractuosus var. pentacanthus · E. anfractuosus var. spinosior · E. anisitsii · E. anitaii · E. apricus · E. arachnoideus · E. araneifer · E. araneolarius · E. arcuatus · E. arechavaletae · E. arechavaletai · E. arizonicus · E. armatissimus · E. armatus · E. arrectus · E. arrigens · E. arrigens var. atropurpureus · E. arrigens var. xiphacanthus · E. aspillagae · E. aspillagai · E. asterias var. nudus · E. asterioides · E. aulacogonus · E. aulacogonus var. diacopaulax · E. aurantiacus · E. aurata · E. auratus · E. aureicentrus · E. aureus · E. bahiensis · E. baldianus · E. beguini · E. beguinii · E. beguinii var. senilis · E. berteroi · E. bertinii · E. biceras · E. bicolor f. bolaensis · E. bicolor f. bolansis · E. bicolor f. pottsii · E. bicolor f. tricolor · E. bicolor Galeotti ex Pfeiff. var. pottsii Salm-Dyck · E. bicolor Galeotti ex Pfeiff. var. tricolor K.Schum. · E. bicolor var. bolaensis · E. bicolor var. bolansis · E. bicolor var. pottsii · E. bicolor var. tricolor · E. bicolor var. typicus · E. bodenbenderianus · E. boedekerianus · E. bolaensis · E. bolansis · E. bolivianus · E. borchersii · E. boutillieri · E. brachiatus · E. brachyanthus · E. brachycentrus · E. brachycentrus var. oligacantha

Bibliography

• .Li Zhenyu. 1999. Cactaceae. In: Ku Tsuechih, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 52(1): 272-285.
• Anderson, E. F. 2001. The cactus family. (Cact Fam)
• Benson, L. 1982. The cacti of the United States and Canada. (Cact US Can)
• Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 (Cact Mex)
• Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas. (F Tex)
• FNA Editorial Committee. 1993–. Flora of North America. (F NAmer)
• Hunt, D. et al., eds. 2006. The new cactus lexicon. (Cact Lexicon)
• Kartesz, J. T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. (L US Can ed2)
• Kearney, T. H. & R. H. Peebles. 1969. Arizona flora, ed. 2. (F Ariz)
• Martin, W. C. & C. R. Hutchins. 1980. A flora of New Mexico. (F New Mex)
• Shreve, F. & I. L. Wiggins. 1964. Vegetation and flora of the Sonoran desert. (F SonorDes)

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Notes

Contributors:

• African Regional Workshop (Conservation and Sustainable Management of Trees, Zimbabwe) 1998. Pericopsis elata. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 October 2006.
• Barneby RC and Forero E, 1994/1995 (from ILDIS).
• Barneby RC & Forero E, 1994/1995 (from ILDIS).
• Barneby RC & Grimes JW (Monograph 1996/97), 2001-05 (from ILDIS).
• BioSystematic Database of World Diptera, 7.0, 2005.
• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2005. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [http://sn2000.taxonomy.nl/Taxonomicon/]. Access date: Nov 23, 2005
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 21, 2007.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2007. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed September 17, 2007.
• Carr, Gerald
• Chappill J, 2001-06 (from ILDIS).
• Cristofolini G, 2001-06 (from ILDIS).
• Fautin, Daphne G. (from Hexacorallians of the World).
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed January 27, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• Hexacorallians of the World 2001.
• Heyn CC & Heller D 1991/1993 (from ILDIS).
• Home of the Xylariaceae 2006.
• ILDIS World Database of Legumes, 10, Nov 2005
• ILDIS World Database of LegumesNov 10, 2005.
• Lewis GP, 1994/1995 (from ILDIS).
• Light, Kris. East Tennessee Wildflowers
• Nghia, N.H. 1998. Dalbergia entadoides. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 October 2006.
• Nielsen IC and Rico ML, 1994 (from ILDIS).
• Nielsen IC & Rico ML, 1994 (from ILDIS).
• Nielsen IC and Rico ML, 1994 (from ILDIS World Database of Legumes).
• Ocean Biogeographic Information System. Accessed March 01, 2006. www.iobis.org
• Parhost World Database of FleasNov 2, 2005.
• Pasquet RS, 2001-06 (from ILDIS).
• Pippen, Jeffrey S. Jeff's Nature Page. Accessed December 8, 2007.
• Podlech D, 1996 (from ILDIS).
• Polhill RM, 1993 (from ILDIS).
• Rhytismatales database 2006.
• Ross JH, 2001-01 (from ILDIS).
• Schrire BD, 1994-10 (from ILDIS).
• Sokoloff DD, 2001-03 (from ILDIS).
• Species Fungorum 2006.
• Stirton CH, 2001-06 (from ILDIS).
• The Global Lepidoptera Names Index2, 12.2, 2005.
• The International Plant Names Index. Accessed Jan 19, 2007.
• The Virtual Field Herbarium.
• Thomson, Christian (from Diptera).
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 27, 2008)
• USDA, NRCS. 2005. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
• Vaz AMSF, 2001-05 (from ILDIS).
• World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. Adenanthera intermedia. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 October 2006.
• Zarucchi JL, 1993 (from ILDIS).
• van der Maesen LJG, 1993 (from ILDIS).
• van der Maesen, LJG, 2001-03 (from ILDIS).

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 02, 2008:

• Comisión nacional para el conocimiento y uso de la biodiversidad, Herbario del Instituto de Ecología, A.C., México
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
• School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium
• USDA PLANTS, USDA PLANTS Database

Identifiers:

• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 19819
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13737029
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:131879-1
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PDCAC05020
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: ECHON
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 34950

Footnotes:

1. Zhen-yu Li & Nigel P. Taylor "Cactaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 209. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
2. Allan D. Zimmerman & Bruce D. Parfitt "Echinocactus". in Flora of North America Vol. 4 Page 97, 188, 207. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.