Echinocereus pectinatus
Echinocereus pentalophus
Mexican comb hedgehog, rainbow cactus
alicoche, ladyfinger cactus
weak, sprawling, soon decumbent [erect and rhizomatous], ± 10–60 × 1–2[–6] cm;
ribs 4–5, crests sharp and straight to poorly defined and undulate;
areoles 5–12 mm apart.
(3–)4–7(–9) per areole, usually very stiff and straight, yellowish, tan, ashy white to dark gray, or pale pink, tips dark, all terete;
radial spines (3–)4–6(–8) per areole, spreading, 6–37 mm;
central spines 0–1 per areole, porrect or ascending, 4–36(–60) mm.
6–10 × 7.5–10(–15) cm;
flower tube 20–25 × 8–20 mm;
flower tube hairs 3–6 mm;
inner tepals brilliant pink or magenta distally with distinct white or yellow proximal regions of variable extent [very rarely white throughout], 3.5–6 × 9–18 mm, tips relatively thin and delicate;
anthers orange-yellow;
nectar chamber 3–6 mm.
green, (10–)15–25 mm, pulp white.
= 22.
Echinocereus pectinatus
Echinocereus pentalophus
Varieties 2 (1 in the flora).
At least in the United States, Echinocereus pectinatus (diploid) has only pink or purple flowers, unlike the polymorphic species E. dasyacanthus (tetraploid). Echinocereus pectinatus differs from the entire E. reichenbachii species group in that the areoles of its relatively thick-walled flower tube have stouter spines and much shorter hairs. Superficially similar species west of the Continental Divide, formerly associated with E. pectinatus (E. pseudopectinatus, E. rigidissimus, and some Sonoran species), are more closely related to the E. reichenbachii species group with densely bristly flower buds and delicate, ephemeral inner tepals. Echinocereus pectinatus var. pectinatus is endemic to Mexico; reports from the United States were misidentifications of var. wenigeri, E. pseudopectinatus (in Arizona), and unusually short-spined plants of E. dasyacanthus.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Our northern plants of Echinocereus pentalophus are var. procumbens (Engelmann) P. Fournier; they have often been misidentified as E. berlandieri. Both taxa have often been misidentified as the Mexican species E. blanckii [often misspelled as E. “blankii”], of confused authorship. Confusing variation of E. pentalophus has promulgated misidentifications, misapplications of names, and attempts to recognize multiple taxa.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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