Echinocereus dasyacanthus
Echinocereus coccineus
spiny hedgehog cactus, Texas rainbow cactus
claret-cup cactus, scarlet hedgehog cactus
erect, ovoid, becoming cylindric with age, 11–23(–40) × (4.5–)5.5–7(–10) cm;
ribs (13–)15–19(–21), crests rather sharply undulate;
areoles 5–11 mm apart.
erect, cylindric (or spheric), 5–40 × 4–15 cm;
ribs (5–)6–14, crests slightly (or conspicuously) undulate;
areoles 10–20(–42) mm apart.
19–28 per areole, straight, appressed (radial spines) or spreading in all directions (central spines), presenting relatively bristly appearance (except when spines very short, and then having relatively smooth appearance as in E. pectinatus), pink to pale yellow, white, or tan, less often dark brown or purplish, annual growth increments marked (often vaguely) by rings of spines with contrasting colors;
radial spines (16–)17–25(–28) per areole, 5–15(–25) mm;
central spines (2–)8–12(–15) per areole, terete, largest spines 4.5–9.5(–14) mm.
(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.
7–8.5(–10) × 7–12 cm;
flower tube 10–20 × to 10 mm;
flower tube hairs 1–3 mm;
inner tepals either yellow (rarely orange-yellow, sometimes becoming salmon- or rose-pink with age), or rose-pink to magenta, proximal 5–30% green in either case, (25–)32–69(–77) × 8–23 mm, tips relatively thin and delicate;
anthers yellow;
nectar chamber 2–6 mm.
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).
dark dull purplish to maroon (sometimes remaining green), 2–3.5 cm, pulp white to purplish pink.
greenish or yellowish to pinkish, bright red or brownish tinged, 20–40(–72) mm or less, pulp white.
= 44.
= 44.
Echinocereus dasyacanthus
Echinocereus coccineus
Flower color of Echinocereus dasyacanthus is spectacularly polymorphic. Unlike E. pectinatus var. wenigeri, however, the inner tepals are never white proximally. No hybrids are known to occur where the tetraploid E. dasyacanthus grows sympatrically with the diploid E. pectinatus, near the Pecos River. The names E. pectinatus var. neomexicanus and var. minor pertain to the hybrids with E. coccineus, E. ×roetteri, including E. ×lloydia. L. D. Benson (1969) misapplied the epithet neomexicanus to E. dasyacanthus. In Big Bend National Park, a few populations with unusually short spines are the basis for erroneous reports of E. pectinatus var. wenigeri, E. pectinatus var. pectinatus, and E. ctenoides (Engelmann) Lemaire. Reports from Arizona were apparently misidentifications of E. pseudopectinatus.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
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