TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Perennial, shrub, tree, generally fleshy
Stem cylindric, spheric, or flat; surface smooth, tubercled, or ribbed (fluted); nodal areoles bear flowers, generally bear spines from center ("central spines") and margin ("radial spines") (Opuntia areoles bear small, barbed, deciduous bristles sometimes called glochids, generally also bear spines)
Leaf generally 0
Flower generally solitary, bisexual, sessile, ± radial; perianth parts generally many, grading from scale-like to petal-like; stamens many; ovary appearing inferior, ± submerged in stem, so generally with areoles on surface, style 1, stigma lobes generally many
Fruit generally fleshy, generally indehiscent, spiny, scaly, or smooth
Seeds many
Genera in family: 93 genera, ± 2000 species: especially Am deserts; many cultivated
Etymology: (Greek: thorny plant)
Reference: [Benson 1982 Cacti of US & Can; Hunt & Taylor eds 1990 Bradleya 8:85107]
Stems 1many, often densely clumped, each < 1 m, 210 cm diam, cylindric; ribs 513, prominent; tubercles ± indistinct; spines straight or curved
Flowers on old growth, often near upper margin of spine-bearing areoles; ovary spiny
Fruit spheric to ovoid, glabrous; spines deciduous
Seed ovoid to ± spheric, tubercled, generally black
Species in genus: 47 species: sw US, Mex
Etymology: (Greek: hedgehog candle)
Reference: [Taylor 1985 Genus Echinocereus]
Native |
Plant generally forming dense mounds
Stems 1500, 540 cm, 515 cm diam, ± spheric to cylindric, light- to bluish green; ribs 512; tubercles ± obvious; areole wool persistent; spines highly variable, ± angled, generally gray, those < 1 year old puberulent near tip; central spines 16, difficult to distinguish from radial spines
Flower < 9 cm, funnel-shaped; perianth orange to red, inner parts round or evenly notched
Fruit 2025 mm, 1015 mm diam, pink to red; spines deciduous
Chromosomes: 2n=22
Ecology: Many habitats
Elevation: 1503000 m.
Bioregional distribution: White and Inyo Mountains, Desert
Distribution outside California: to Rocky Mtns, Texas, Mexico
Flowering time: AprJun
Synonyms: E. mojavensis (Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow) Ruempler
Highly variable; sometimes divided into vars., but not satisfactorily. More study needed
Horticultural information: DRN, DRY: 2, 3, 10, 11, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.