Echinocereus engelmannii
Echinocereus coccineus
calico cactus, Engelmann's hedgehog cactus, strawberry hedgehog cactus
claret-cup cactus, scarlet hedgehog cactus
mostly erect, cylindric or somewhat tapering distally, (5–)14–45(–70) × 3–9 cm;
ribs 10–13, crests slightly undulate;
areoles 6–10(–15) 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.
(8–)15–20 per areole, usually straight (curved and twisted in desert mountains and peninsular ranges of California), individual spines with broad zones of different colors: whitish or grayish, dull golden-yellow, or reddish brown to nearly black;
radial spines 6–14 per areole, 8–20(–50) mm;
central spines (2–)4–6(–9) per areole, divergent-porrect, 12–70 mm, abaxial central spine often fading whitish, flat to sharply angled (terete or nearly so in north-central Arizona).
(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.
6–9 × 5–9 cm;
flower tube 13–30 × 10–30 mm;
flower tube hairs 1 mm;
inner tepals bright rose-pink to magenta, often varying from paler to darker in same population, proximally darker, 37–75 × (8–)14–25 mm, tips relatively thin, delicate;
anthers yellow;
nectar chamber 4–6 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).
red or orangish, 25–45 mm, pulp whitish becoming infused with pink or red from the skin.
greenish or yellowish to pinkish, bright red or brownish tinged, 20–40(–72) mm or less, pulp white.
= 44.
= 44.
Echinocereus engelmannii
Echinocereus coccineus
The characteristics distinguishing Echinocereus engelmannii from E. fasciculatus to the east are poorly documented, and W. Blum et al. (1998) combined the two as separate subspecies of E. engelmannii. Historically, E. engelmannii has been characterized as having the abaxial central spine in each areole particularly long, pale, and strongly compressed dorsiventrally (sharply angled, hence daggerlike), contrasting with the other spines. In practice that trait is not always diagnostic. Plants called Echinocereus engelmannii var. acicularis L. D. Benson are essentially morphologically and geographically intermediate between those referred to E. fasciculatus and E. engelmannii var. chrysocentrus.
The history of confusion with Echinocereus nicholii has resulted in misidentification of yellow-spined individuals of E. engelmannii.
Spine color polymorphism, common within Echinocereus engelmannii, provided the original basis for varieties chrysocentrus and purpureus. The well-marked, identifiable extremes often occur in populations that include individuals easily assigned to other named varieties, or not assignable to any. L. D. Benson (1969, 1982) and subsequent authors (e.g., N. P. Taylor 1985; W. Blum et al. 1998) have attempted to recognize infraspecific taxa within E. engelmannii. However, one of those is clearly a distinct species (E. nicholii), while the remainder are either too poorly defined or too poorly known to treat fully here. At higher elevations beyond the western edge of the desert, E. engelmannii var. munzii (Parish) P. Pierce & Fosberg has been distinguished by its curving, twisting, gray spines, somewhat resembling spines of westernmost plants of E. triglochidiatus var. mojavensis. Plants of the western Sonoran Desert margin in the Mexican boundary region in California are the typical E. engelmannii var. engelmannii. Similar plants from the opposite, eastern, side of the Sonoran Desert, in Arizona, have been called E. engelmannii var. acicularis L. D. Benson. In the intervening Colorado River Valley is spinier E. engelmannii var. chrysocentrus (Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow) Rümpler. In E. engelmannii var. acicularis at the lowest altitudes, central spines are usually four, in which cases taxonomic segregation from E. engelmannii var. chrysocentrus seems arbitrary. At higher altitudes, plants of E. engelmannii var. acicularis with only one or two central spines per areole are frequent, and the abaxial central spine may be terete instead of angular and daggerlike as in E. engelmannii var. chrysocentrus. The most formidably spiny extremes of the species were segregated as E. engelmannii vars. howei and armatus; however, other individuals in the original populations (type localities) are readily assigned to E. engelmannii var. chrysocentrus. W. Blum et al. (1998) placed all of the above varieties under E. engelmannii subsp. engelmannii.
Plants smaller in all parts and with fewer central spines from north-central Arizona are Echinocereus engelmannii subsp. decumbens (Clover & Jotter) W. Blum & Mich. Lange. L. D. Benson (1969) referred those to var. variegatus (Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow) Rümpler, but the type locality of var. variegatus is in a different region. The status of E. engelmannii var. purpureus L. D. Benson remains uncertain; its similarity to unidentified diploid material found in northern Arizona suggests that it could be a separate species, but more variable than its original diagnosis allowed.
(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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