Echinocereus coccineus
Echinocereus fasciculatus
claret-cup cactus, scarlet hedgehog cactus
pinkflower hedgehog cactus
erect, cylindric (or spheric), 5–40 × 4–15 cm;
ribs (5–)6–14, crests slightly (or conspicuously) undulate;
areoles 10–20(–42) mm apart.
mostly erect, cylindric, (5–)10–40 × 4.5–8 cm;
ribs 10–15, crests slightly undulate;
areoles 10–15 mm apart.
(1–)5–16(–22) per areole, mostly straight except on unusually long-spined individuals, ashy white to gray, brown, yellowish, reddish, or black, often dark tipped;
radial spines (1–)4–13(–18) per areole, appressed to slightly projecting, (3–)5–40(–49) mm;
central spines 0–6 per areole, spreading to projecting outward, terete (to angular), (5–)10–80 mm.
8–16 per areole, usually straight, individual spines with broad zones of different colors: yellowish, reddish brown, or gray to black, or white to black, becoming gray;
radial spines 7–15 per areole, 5–15 mm;
central spines 1–3 per areole, divergent-porrect, 15–75 mm, all terete.
unisexual, (2.5–)3.8–8(–9) × (1.5–)3–7 cm;
flower tube (12–)15–40 × 8–30 mm;
flower tube hairs usually 1–2 mm;
inner tepals crimson or scarlet, less often orange-red (very rarely rose-pink), with or without whitish or yellowish (or pink) proximal portion, usually 14–40 × 5–16 mm, tips thick and rigid;
anthers usually pink or purple (rarely yellow);
nectar chamber 4–10 mm (longer if measurement includes tube formed by connate stamen bases).
6–10 × 8–10 cm;
flower tube 10–20 × 15–40 mm;
flower tube hairs 2.3–4 mm;
inner tepals rose-pink to magenta [rarely nearly white], with midstripes darker, darker magenta or sometimes purplish maroon near base, (20–)35–52 × 12–20 mm, tips relatively thin and delicate;
anthers yellow;
nectar chamber 3.3–5 mm.
greenish or yellowish to pinkish, bright red or brownish tinged, 20–40(–72) mm or less, pulp white.
bright red or orange-red, 20–30 mm, pulp white or sometimes pink.
= 44.
= 44.
Echinocereus coccineus
Echinocereus fasciculatus
Tetraploids belonging to Echinocereus coccineus constituted the greater part of L. D. Benson’s concept (1969, 1969b, 1969c, 1982) of E. triglochidiatus var. melanacanthus (see also discussion under 12. E. triglochidiatus). Where sympatric, the diploids and tetraploids are usually different in appearance, except in southeastern Arizona and extreme southwestern New Mexico (see discussion under 13. E. arizonicus), and in northern Arizona.
The common, tetraploid, claret-cup cacti of southeastern Arizona mountain ranges have bisexual flowers, and they have been named Echinocereus santaritensis W. Blum & Rutow. Similar plants from southwestern New Mexico are the basis for E. coccineus subsp. aggregatus [also called E. aggregatus (Engelmann ex S. Watson) Rydberg].
Populations of Echinocereus coccineus form an intergrading series from densely spine-covered typical coccineus in Colorado and northern New Mexico to sparsely spined plants in west-central Texas. Populations in the mildest climates have strikingly large stems, but shrink when transplanted (D. Weniger 1970). Populations intermediate between those extremes in the El Paso region sometimes are segregated as E. coccineus subsp. rosei.
Populations in northwestern Arizona with unusually small, narrow flowers Echinocereus toroweapensis (P. C. Fisher) Fuersch appear identical to E. canyonensis Clover & Jotter (M. A. Baker, pers. comm.). A type specimen for E. toroweapensis was apparently never preserved, so the name may be invalid.
Populations in the granitic region of central Texas (chromosome number unknown), probably belonging in Echinocereus coccineus, have been called E. coccineus subsp. roemeri (Muehlenpfordt) W. Blum, Mich. Lange & Rutow. Spines are more numerous than in the surrounding populations on limestone.
Echinocereus coccineus var. gurneyi (L. D. Benson) D. Ferguson was based on a short-spined plant, apparently introgressed from E. dasyacanthus, and so it pertains to E. ×roetteri Rümpler in the broad sense. It is not a true geographic race of E. coccineus.
Echinocereus santaritensis and the diploid called E. nigrihorridispinus (see discussion under 13. E. arizonicus) are ecologically and reproductively segregated but difficult to distinguish morphologically, especially when sterile. Spines of E. santaritensis tend to be thinner but only extremes are identifiable by spine thickness alone. Arizona reports of E. triglochidiatus var. neomexicanus were based on robust individuals from both of those taxa, whereas slender-spined specimens were identified mostly as E. triglochidiatus var. melanacanthus. Arizona reports of E. polyacanthus were based on either the hairy salverform flowers of E. santaritensis or the robust plants of E. nigrihorridispinus.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
New Mexico records of Echinocereus fasciculatus are at least in part based on vigorous old plants of E. fendleri, which sometimes have 1–2 short supplementary central spines (and which appear very different from younger plants in the same populations). Echinocereus fasciculatus may prove to intergrade clinally with E. engelmannii var. acicularis wherever their geographic ranges approach each other. At its upper altitudinal limit, E. fasciculatus tends to have shorter spines, fewer central spines, shorter stems, and more compact growth habit.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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