Echinocereus is a genus of ribbed, usually small to medium-sized, cylindrical shaped cacti, comprising about 70 species native to the southern United States and Mexico in very sunny, rocky places. Usually the flowers are large and the fruit edible.

Echinocereus
Echinocereus triglochidiatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Echinocereeae
Genus: Echinocereus
Engelm.[1]
Type species
 Echinocereus viridiflorus
Species

See text

Synonyms[1]

Wilcoxia Britton & Rose

The name comes from the Ancient Greek ἐχῖνος (echinos), meaning "sea urchin", and the Latin cereus meaning "candle". They are sometimes known as hedgehog cacti,[2] a term also used for the Pediocactus and Echinopsis.[3]

Description edit

The species of the genus Echinocereus grow solitary or branching with prostrate to erect shoots that are spherical to cylindrical. The roots are fibrous or bulbous. The plants reach heights of growth between 1 and 60 centimeters. On the tips of the 4 to 26 ribs, which are mostly clear and only rarely resolved into humps, are the areoles, from which differently shaped spines can arise.

A distinctive characteristic and likely synapomorphy of the genus is the erumpent flowers.[4] The floral buds develop internally and break through the epidermis of the stem. This flower morphology is likely an adaptation to protect the developing buds from low temperatures. Upon maturity, the flowers are usually brightly colored and open during the day. Echinocereus floral color is variable because perianth color reflects pollinator specificity. Red flowers are generally associated with hummingbird pollination, while pink flowers tend to correspond to moth pollination. Their pericarp and floral tubes are studded with thorns, bristles, and sometimes wool. The scar is usually green, but sometimes white in color.

The spherical to ovoid fruits are green to red and mostly thorny. They are mostly juicy and open along a longitudinal slit. The sometimes fragrant fruits contain broadly oval, black, tuberous seeds 0.8 to 2 millimeters long.

Taxonomy edit

Echinocereus is a genus in the tribe Echinocereeae within the subfamily Cactoideae of the Cactaceae family.[5] The Cactoideae can be further divided into two sister clades, Cactoideae I and II.[6] Echinocereus is situated within the Cactoideae I clade within the Pachycereeae tribe, a tribe that represents a diversification that yielded columnar and arborescent forms. Echinocereus emerged 4.6 ± 1.7 million years ago.[7] Echinocereus is a strongly supported monophyletic genus that is sister to Stenocereus, although there has historically been substantial debate about infrageneric classification because of the genus's high rates of morphological variation and convergent evolution.

Cultivation edit

Echinocereus spp. are easier to cultivate than many other cacti.[citation needed] They need light soil, a sunny exposure, and a fresh and dry winter to flower. They grow better in soil slightly richer than other cacti. In the wild, several of the species are cold hardy, tolerating temperatures as low as −23 °C, but only in dry conditions.

Species edit

The following species are recognized in the genus Echinocereus by Plants of the World Online:[8]

Section Image Scientific name Subspecies Distribution
Costati (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor (1994)   Echinocereus berlandieri (Engelm.) Haage Mexico, Texas
  Echinocereus cinerascens (DC.) Lem.
  • Echinocereus cinerascens subsp. cinerascens
  • Echinocereus cinerascens subsp. septentrionalis (N.P.Taylor) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus cinerascens subsp. tulensis (Bravo) N.P.Taylor
Texas to Mexico
  Echinocereus enneacanthus Engelm. Mexico (Jalisco)
Echinocereus freudenbergeri G.Frank Mexico (S. Coahuila)
  Echinocereus longisetus (Engelm.) Lem.
  • Echinocereus longisetus subsp. delaetii (Gürke) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus longisetus subsp. longisetus
Mexico (Coahuila).
  Echinocereus nivosus Glass & R.A.Foster Mexico (SE. Coahuila, Nuevo León)
  Echinocereus papillosus Linke ex Rümpler Texas to NE. Mexico
  Echinocereus parkeri N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus parkeri subsp. arteagensis W.Blum & Mich.Lange
  • Echinocereus parkeri subsp. gonzalezii (N.P.Taylor) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus parkeri subsp. mazapilensis W.Blum & Mich.Lange
  • Echinocereus parkeri subsp. parkeri
Mexico.
Echinocereus rayonesensis N.P.Taylor Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas).
  Echinocereus stramineus (Engelm.) F.Seitz New Mexico to W. Texas and NE. Mexico
  Echinocereus viereckii Werderm.
  • Echinocereus viereckii subsp. morricalii (Říha) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus viereckii subsp. santamariensis W.Blum & D.Felix
  • Echinocereus viereckii subsp. viereckii
Mexico (SW. Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Coahuila).
Echinocereus Echinocereus canus D.Felix & H.Bauer Texas
  Echinocereus mapimiensis E.F.Anderson, W.C.Hodgs. & P.Quirk Mexico (Coahuila, Durango)
  Echinocereus pentalophus (DC.) J.N.Haage
  • Echinocereus pentalophus subsp. leonensis (Mathsson) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus pentalophus subsp. pentalophus
  • Echinocereus pentalophus subsp. procumbens (Engelm.) W.Blum & Mich.Lange
Texas, Mexico (to Jalisco)
  Echinocereus occidentalis (N.P.Taylor) W.Rischer, S.Breckw. & Breckw.
  • Echinocereus occidentalis subsp. breckwoldtiorum De-Nova, Cast.-Lara & W.Blum
  • Echinocereus occidentalis subsp. occidentalis
Mexico
  Echinocereus russanthus D.Weniger Texas to Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila)
  Echinocereus viridiflorus Engelm.
  • Echinocereus viridiflorus var. canus A.M.Powell & Weedin
  • Echinocereus viridiflorus subsp. chloranthus (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus viridiflorus subsp. correllii (L.D.Benson) W.Blum & Mich.Lange
  • Echinocereus viridiflorus subsp. cylindricus (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus viridiflorus subsp. davisii (Houghton) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus viridiflorus var. neocapillus (Weniger) A.D.Zimmerman
  • Echinocereus viridiflorus subsp. viridiflorus
SW. South Dakota to N. Texas and Mexico (Coahuila)
Erecti (K.Schum.) Bravo (1982) Echinocereus apachensis W.Blum & Rutow Arizona.
  Echinocereus barthelowanus Britton & Rose Mexico (Island Magdalena)
  Echinocereus bonkerae Thornber & Bonker Arizona
  Echinocereus brandegeei (J.M.Coult.) K.Schum. Mexico (Baja California)
  Echinocereus dasyacanthus Engelm.
  • Echinocereus dasyacanthus subsp. ctenoides (Engelm.) Lodé
  • Echinocereus dasyacanthus subsp. dasyacanthus
  • Echinocereus dasyacanthus subsp. multispinosus D.Felix & H.Bauer
  • Echinocereus dasyacanthus subsp. rectispinus (Trocha & Fethke) W.Blum, W.Rischer & Rutow
Mexico (Coahuila)
  Echinocereus engelmannii (Parry ex Engelm.) Lem.
  • Echinocereus engelmannii subsp. engelmannii
  • Echinocereus engelmannii subsp. llanuraensis (Rutow) Felger
United States (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah), Mexico
  Echinocereus fasciculatus (Engelm. ex B.D.Jacks.) L.D.Benson Colorado to NE. Mexico.
Echinocereus felixianus H.Bauer New Mexico, Texas, Mexico (N. Sonora to N. Chihuahua)
  Echinocereus fendleri (Engelm.) Sencke ex J.N.Haage
  • Echinocereus fendleri subsp. fendleri
  • Echinocereus fendleri subsp. rectispinus (Peebles) N.P.Taylor
Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah; Mexico (Baja California, NW. Sonora).
  Echinocereus ferreiranus H.E.Gates
  • Echinocereus ferreiranus subsp. ferreiranusEchinocereus ferreirianus subsp. ferreirianus
  • Echinocereus ferreiranus subsp. lindsayorum (J.Meyrán) N.P.TaylorEchinocereus ferreirianus subsp. lindsayorum (J.Meyrán) N.P.Taylor
Mexico (C. Baja California)
  Echinocereus ledingii Peebles Arizona.
  Echinocereus maritimus (M.E.Jones) K.Schum. Mexico (Baja California).
  Echinocereus nicholii (L.D.Benson) B.D.Parfitt Arizona to Mexico (Sonora)
  Echinocereus pectinatus (Scheidw.) Engelm.
  • Echinocereus pectinatus subsp. pectinatus
  • Echinocereus pectinatus subsp. rutowiorum W.Blum
  • Echinocereus pectinatus subsp. wenigeri (L.D.Benson) W.Blum & Rutow
Mexico.
  Echinocereus relictus Wellard Utah
Pulchellus N.P.Taylor (1985) Echinocereus acanthosetus (S.Arias & U.Guzmán) Gómez-Quintero & Dan.Sánchez Mexico
  Echinocereus adustus Engelm.
  • Echinocereus adustus subsp. adustus
  • Echinocereus adustus subsp. roemerianus W.Rischer
  • Echinocereus adustus subsp. schwarzii (A.B.Lau) N.P.Taylor
Mexico (Chihuahua)
  Echinocereus knippelianus Liebner Mexico (SE. Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí).
  Echinocereus laui G.Frank Mexico (E. Sonora, Chihuahua)
  Echinocereus pamanesii A.B.Lau
  • Echinocereus pamanesii subsp. bonatzii (R.C.Römer) R.C.Römer
  • Echinocereus pamanesii subsp. pamanesii
Mexico (Zacatecas)
  Echinocereus pulchellus (Mart.) K.Schum. Mexico (Hidalgo, Puebla)
  Echinocereus schereri G.Frank Mexico (Durango).
Echinocereus sharpii (N.P.Taylor) Dan.Sánchez & Gómez-Quintero Mexico (Nuevo León)
  Echinocereus weinbergii Weing.
  • Echinocereus weinbergii subsp. venustus (W.Blum & W.Rischer) Gómez-Quintero & Dan.Sánchez
  • Echinocereus weinbergii subsp. weinbergii
Mexico (Jalisco)
Reichenbachii N.P.Taylor (1985)   Echinocereus bristolii W.T.Marshall Mexico (Sonora)
  Echinocereus chisosensis W.T.Marshall
  • Echinocereus chisosensis subsp. chisosensis
  • Echinocereus chisosensis subsp. fobeanus (Oehme) N.P.Taylor
Texas to Mexico
Echinocereus grandis Britton & Rose Mexico (Islands de las Animas)
  Echinocereus palmeri Britton & Rose
  • Echinocereus palmeri subsp. mazapil H.M.Hern. & Gómez-Hin.
  • Echinocereus palmeri subsp. palmeri
Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango)
  Echinocereus primolanatus Fritz Schwarz ex N.P.Taylor Mexico (to Jalisco).
Echinocereus pseudopectinatus (N.P.Taylor) N.P.Taylor Arizona to Mexico (NE. Sonora)
  Echinocereus reichenbachii (Terscheck ex Walp.) J.N.Haage
  • Echinocereus reichenbachii subsp. armatus (Poselger) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus reichenbachii subsp. baileyi (Rose) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus reichenbachii subsp. burrensis G.Frank, Metorn & E.Scherer
  • Echinocereus reichenbachii subsp. fitchii (Britton & Rose) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus reichenbachii subsp. perbellus (Britton & Rose) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus reichenbachii subsp. reichenbachii
Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas; Mexico
  Echinocereus rigidissimus (Engelm.) Rose
  • Echinocereus rigidissimus subsp. rigidissimus
  • Echinocereus rigidissimus subsp. rubispinus (G.Frank & A.B.Lau) N.P.Taylor
New Mexico, Arizona and N. Mexico
  Echinocereus sciurus (K.Brandegee) Dams
  • Echinocereus sciurus subsp. floresii (Schwarz ex Backeb.) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus sciurus subsp. sciurus
Mexico (S. Baja California Sur)
  Echinocereus scopulorum Britton & Rose Mexico (to Nayarit)
  Echinocereus spinigemmatus A.B.Lau Mexico (NW. Jalisco, W. Zacatecas)
  Echinocereus stolonifer W.T.Marshall
  • Echinocereus stolonifer subsp. stolonifer
  • Echinocereus stolonifer subsp. tayopensis (W.T.Marshall) N.P.Taylor
Mexico (SE. Sonora, Sinaloa)
  Echinocereus subinermis Salm-Dyck ex Scheer
  • Echinocereus subinermis subsp. ochoterenae (J.G.Ortega) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus subinermis subsp. subinermis
Mexico (Sonora, Sinaloa, SW. Chihuahua, Durango)
  Echinocereus websterianus G.E.Linds. Mexico (Sonora: Island San Pedro Nolasco)
Triglochidiata Bravo 1973   Echinocereus acifer (Otto ex Salm-Dyck) Jacobi Mexico
  Echinocereus arizonicus Rose ex Orcutt
  • Echinocereus arizonicus subsp. arizonicus
  • Echinocereus arizonicus subsp. matudae (Bravo) Rutow
  • Echinocereus arizonicus subsp. nigrihorridispinus W.Blum & Rutow
Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico
Echinocereus bakeri W.Blum, Oldach & J.Oldach Arizona, Nevada, Utah
  Echinocereus coccineus Engelm.
  • Echinocereus coccineus subsp. coccineus
  • Echinocereus coccineus subsp. paucispinus (Engelm.) W.Blum, Mich.Lange & Rutow
  • Echinocereus coccineus subsp. rosei (Wooton & Standl.) W.Blum & Rutow
New Mexico and Mexico (Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua)
Echinocereus gurneyi (L.D.Benson) W.Blum, Oldach & J.Oldach Texas.
  Echinocereus ortegae Rose
  • Echinocereus ortegae subsp. koehresianus (G.Frank) W.Rischer & G.Frank
  • Echinocereus ortegae subsp. ortegae
Mexico
  Echinocereus pacificus (Engelm.) Britton & Rose
  • Echinocereus pacificus subsp. mombergerianus (G.Frank) W.Blum, W.Rischer & Rutow
  • Echinocereus pacificus subsp. pacificus
Mexico (Baja California)
  Echinocereus polyacanthus Engelm. Mexico (Chihuahua to Jalisco).
  Echinocereus salm-dyckianus Scheer Mexico (E. Sonora to W. Chihuahua)
Echinocereus santaritensis W.Blum & Rutow
  • Echinocereus santaritensis subsp. bacanorensis (W.Rischer & Trocha) W.Rischer & D.Felix
  • Echinocereus santaritensis subsp. santaritensis
Arizona to New Mexico and Mexico (Sonora, Chihuahua)
  Echinocereus scheeri (Salm-Dyck) Scheer
  • Echinocereus scheeri subsp. gentryi (Clover) N.P.Taylor
  • Echinocereus scheeri subsp. scheeri
Mexico (E. Sonora to W. Durango)
  Echinocereus triglochidiatus Engelm.
  • Echinocereus triglochidiatus subsp. mojavensis (Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow) W.Blum & Mich.Lange
  • Echinocereus triglochidiatus subsp. triglochidiatus
Colorado to New Mexico and NW. Mexico.
Echinocereus yavapaiensis M.A.Baker Arizona
Wilcoxia (Britton & Rose) N.P.Taylor (1985) Echinocereus kroenleinii (Mich.Lange) W.Blum & Waldeis Mexico (Coahuila)
  Echinocereus leucanthus N.P.Taylor Mexico (NW. Sonora, NW. Sinaloa)
  Echinocereus poselgeri Lem. Texas to NE. Mexico.
  Echinocereus schmollii (Weing.) N.P.Taylor Mexico (SE. Querétaro to Hidalgo)
  Echinocereus waldeisii Haugg Mexico (San Luis Potosí)

Natural Hybrids edit

Image Scientific name Subspecies Distribution
Echinocereus ×kunzei Gürke ( E. coccineus × E. dasyacanthus.) New Mexico
  Echinocereus ×neomexicanus Standl. (E. chloranthus × E. coccineus subsp. rosei. ) Mexico (Chihuahua)
  Echinocereus ×roetteri (Engelm.) Engelm. (E. coccineus × E. dasyacanthus)
  • Echinocereus ×roetteri var. lloydii (Britton & Rose) Backeb.
  • Echinocereus ×roetteri var. neomexicanus (J.M.Coult.) A.D.Zimmerman
New Mexico to SW. Texas and Mexico (Chihuahua)

Formerly placed here edit

  • Echinopsis candicans (Gillies ex Salm-Dyck) F.A.C.Weber ex D.R.Hunt (as E. candicans (Gillies ex Salm-Dyck) Rümpler)[9]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Genus: Echinocereus Engelm". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2004-02-13. Archived from the original on 2012-10-11. Retrieved 2011-04-10.
  2. ^ "Echinocereus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2011-04-10.
  3. ^ "Echinopsis (Hedgehog Cacti)". Cactus and Succulent Society of Australia. Archived from the original on 2008-07-20. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  4. ^ Sánchez, D., Grego-Valencia, D., Terrazas, T., & Arias, S. (2015). How and why does the areole meristem move in Echinocereus (Cactaceae)?. Annals of Botany, 115(1), 19-26.
  5. ^ United States Department of Agriculture. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?4097 (11 October 2012).
  6. ^ Hernández‐Hernández, T., Hernández, H. M., De‐Nova, J. A., Puente, R., Eguiarte, L. E., & Magallón, S. (2011). Phylogenetic relationships and evolution of growth form in Cactaceae (Caryophyllales, Eudicotyledoneae). American journal of botany, 98(1), 44-61.
  7. ^ Arakaki, M., Christin, P. A., Nyffeler, R., Lendel, A., Eggli, U., Ogburn, R. M., ... & Edwards, E. J. (2011). Contemporaneous and recent radiations of the world's major succulent plant lineages. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(20), 8379-8384.
  8. ^ "Echinocereus Engelm. - Plants of the World Online". Plants of the World Online. 2021-07-08. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  9. ^ "GRIN Species Records of Echinocereus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2011-04-10.

Further reading edit

  • Fischer, Pierre C. 70 Common Cacti of the Southwest. City unknown: Southwest Parks and Monuments Association, 1989.
  • Anderson, Miles (1998). The Ultimate Book of Cacti and Succulents. ISBN 1-85967-460-7. Lorenz Books.
  • Innes C, Wall B (1995). Cacti' Succulents and Bromaliads. Cassell & The Royal Horticultural Society.
  • Anderson, Edward F. : "The Cactus Family" (2001)
  • Taylor, Nigel P.: The Genus Echinocereus. Kew Magazine Monograph, Timber Press 1985, ISBN 0-88192-052-5
  • Blum, Lange, Rischer & Rutow: Echinocereus, (1998)

External links edit