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Strawberry Hedgehog
Strawberry Hedgehog
Strawberry hedgehog (Echinocereus engelmannii) is one of the most common of the hedgehog cacti. It usually grows in clusters, sometimes up to 20 and more stems. The stems are 1.5 to 3.5 inches in diameter and up to 25 inches high. Central spines number 2 to 7 and are stout, usually twisted or angular, up to 3 inches long and variable in color: bright yellow, dark brown, grey, and white. Radial spines are shorter and needle-like, up to 0.8 inch long, white and arranged in a neat rosette. The flowers are bright purple to magenta, bloom in April and grow at the upper half to one third of the stem. They are funnel-form in shape, up to 3.5 inches long with dark-green stigmas. The fruit is very spiny and is said to taste like a strawberry. At first the fruit is green, becoming pink and drying when ripe. The ripe fruit has spines which are easily detached. There are 8 subspecies of Echinocereus engelmannii, 4 of which occur in Arizona;
- Echinocereus engelmannii var. acicularis
- Echinocereus engelmannii var. chrysocentrus
- Echinocereus engelmannii var. engelmannii
- Echinocereus engelmannii var. variegatus
Click on the picture to the bottom right to see the central spines.
These photos were taken on the Wishbone Junction – Willow Springs trail on March 30, 2016.
Spiny Hedgehog Cactus
Spiny Hedgehog Cactus
Spiny Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus dasyacanthus) has predominantly yellow flowers. E. dasyacanthus received its designated name from the two Greek words dasys and akantha, which mean "shaggy" and "thorns" respectively. Echinocereus dasyacanthus plants are usually found with a single stem or 2-3 basal branches. Though it is not uncommon to find plants with 3-10 stems. The stems of the spiny hedgehog cactus are between 4.5 to 9.5 inches long and 2.0 to 2.8 in wide and mostly have 15-18 ribs. The spines usually overlap making the stem not visible. There is a great amount of variation in the spines characteristics. There are typically 4-12 central spines that are .2-.5 in long and 14-25 radial spines that are .3–.8 in long. The basic coloration of the spines are tan to yellow to pink. Flower colors are mostly yellow. The stamens of the flowers have filaments resulting in the floral throat being filled with a funnel of yellow anthers. The fruits of E. dasyacanthus are usually green or greenish purple at first. As they mature the fruits become a darker purple. The pulp is very juicy and can be white to purplish-pink in color.
Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus
Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus
Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus fasciculatus) has only 1 central spine per areole, The central spine is the longest and is at right angles to the stem and surrounded by four-to-ten shorter radial spines. The central spines are dark brown at the stem tips. Flower Color is brilliant magenta pink, the 3 inch wide flowers have darker centers and green stigmas and has a wide range in Arizona. There are severeal subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Echinocereus fasciculatus group;
- Echinocereus bonkerae var. apachensis
- Echinocereus fasciculatus(subsp. fasciculatus)
- Echinocereus fasciculatus var. bonkerae
- Echinocereus fasciculatus var. boyce-thompsonii
Kingcup Cactus
Kingcup Cactus
Kingcup Cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) is a common, widespread and variable species best identified by its flowers, which are orange or red in color and have rounded petals; other hedgehog cacti have pointed petals of different colors. Spines of E. triglochidiatus range between half an inch to 4 inches in length, with central spines somewhat longer than the radials, are usually light in color, and not dense, allowing the dark green stems to be visible, but in some specimens the spines are darker and more densely spaced. This is one of the most branched species of all cacti, often forming a rounded clump of hundreds of stems, many feet wide. Variants of E. triglochidiatus include;
- E. coccineus (scarlet hedgehog)
- Echinocereus mojavensis (Mojave kingcup cactus)
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