Echinocereus triglochidiatus

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Echinocereus triglochidiatus
Echinocereus triglochidiatusUGA0807034.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Echinocereus
Species:
E. triglochidiatus
Binomial name
Echinocereus triglochidiatus
Synonyms

Echinocereus mojavensis

Close-up of Echinocereus triglochidiatus flower; Joshua Tree National Park, California Echinocereus triglochidiatus 0001.jpg
Close-up of Echinocereus triglochidiatus flower; Joshua Tree National Park, California

Echinocereus triglochidiatus is a species of hedgehog cactus known by several common names, including kingcup cactus, claret cup cactus, red-flowered hedgehog cactus and Mojave mound cactus. This cactus is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it is a resident of varied habitats from low desert to rocky slopes, scrub, and mountain woodland. E. triglochidiatus is the official state cactus of Colorado. [2]

Contents

Description

A number of varieties of this highly variable cactus species are known, but not all are universally recognized. In general, it is a mounding cactus, forming bulbous piles of a few to hundreds of spherical to cylindrical stems. It is densely spiny and somewhat woolly. The showy flower is a funnel-shaped bloom up to 8–9 cm (3.1–3.5 inches) wide and bright scarlet red to orange-red tepals. A thick nectar chamber and many thready pink stamens are at the center of the corolla. [3]

Taxonomy

The kingcup cactus's taxonomy is a topic of contention. Varieties of the E. triglochidiatus often vary dramatically in their stems and spines, with closely related combinations producing radically different looking plants. Many varieties have little or no documented natural occurrences, but were observed in cultivation. [4]

Plants in the western portion of the range of E. triglochidiatus were formerly considered E. triglochidiatus var. mojavensis. This taxon included both the California curly-spined plants and the straight-spined plants that reside in Arizona, Utah, and western Colorado. The straight-spined varieties were called E. triglochidiatus var. melanacanthus. Those in the eastern portion of the distribution were called E. triglochidiatus var. triglochidiatus. They have fewer and larger spines. [5] These varieties became their own distinct subspecies, and only the E. triglochidiatus var. triglochidiatus is a recognized variant. [3]

One variety, E. t.arizonicus or the Arizona Hedgehog cactus, is federally listed as an endangered species in the United States. It is limited to the intersection of Arizona and New Mexico in the United States with Mexico. This variety is sometimes included within Echinocereus coccineus . Conversely, the Integrated Taxonomic Information System lists the variety as its own species, Echinocereus arizonicus. [6] [7]

Distribution

All the varieties of the E. triglochidiatus can be found in the Southwestern United States. It lives in various upland, mountain, and dessert climates throughout Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, California, Texas and Northern Mexico. [4]

Etymology

The name comes from the Greek tri- and glochidium , meaning "three glochids." [8]

Ecology

Although it is favored by hummingbirds for pollination, its flowers are not specialized for hummingbird pollination, and it is pollinated by bees as well. [9] [3]

Seeds are dispersed from the fruits of mature plants. While ants occasionally take fruit to their mounds, leaving seeds above to sprout - feeding by rodents and lagomorphs are the most common means of dispersal. New sprouts of the cactus thrive under the shade of the fourwing saltbush, which provides protection from animals and desiccation. [3] [10] New growth of E. triglochidiatus is clustered around very old specimens, atop the remains of the saltbushes that served as a nursery. Rodents occasionally kill the plants by digging nests underneath, destroying roots. [11]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Pelecyphora vivipara</i> Species of cactus

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<i>Opuntia basilaris</i> Species of cactus

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<i>Echinocereus chisoensis</i> Species of cactus

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<i>Echinocereus fendleri</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus fendleri is a species of cactus known by the common names pinkflower hedgehog cactus and Fendler's hedgehog cactus. It is named in honor of Augustus Fendler.

<i>Echinocereus viridiflorus</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus viridiflorus is a species of cactus known by the common names nylon hedgehog cactus, green pitaya, and small-flowered hedgehog cactus. It is native to the central and south-central United States and northern Mexico, where it can be found in varied habitat types, including desert scrub, woodlands, dry grasslands, and short-grass prairie.

<i>Sclerocactus glaucus</i> Species of cactus

Sclerocactus glaucus is a rare species of cactus known by the common name Colorado hookless cactus. It is endemic to Colorado in the United States, where it is known only from the area between Grand Junction and Montrose. It is a federally listed threatened species.

<i>Echinocereus dasyacanthus</i> Species of cactus

Echinocereus dasyacanthus is a member of the cactus family, Cactaceae. It is one of about 2000 total species belonging to this family. The cactus is commonly known as Texas rainbow cactus because of the subtle rings or bands of contrasting colors along the stem of the plant. Not all Texas rainbow cacti have the "rainbow" coloration on their stems. Another common name is spiny hedgehog cactus.

<i>Sclerocactus sileri</i> Species of cactus

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<i>Echinocereus berlandieri</i> Species of cactus

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<i>Echinocereus arizonicus</i> Species of cactus

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<i>Echinocereus coccineus</i> Species of plant

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<i>Echinocereus rigidissimus</i> Species of cactus

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<i>Echinocereus enneacanthus</i> Species of plant

Echinocereus enneacanthus is a species of flowering plant first described by George Engelmann.

<i>Echinocereus websterianus</i> Species of cactus in Mexico

Echinocereus websterianus, commonly known as the San Pedro Nolasco hedgehog cactus or Webster's hedgehog cactus, is a species of cactus. It is named after American philanthropist Gertrude Webster, who cofounded the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.

References

  1. NatureServe (2023). "Echinocereus triglochidiatus". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  2. "State Cactus". Archives. 2015-02-18. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Echinocereus triglochidiatus". www.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  4. 1 2 Benson, Lyman (1983). The cacti of the United States and Canada (2nd print. ed.). Stanford, CA: Stanford Univ. Press. pp. 242–243, 607–609. ISBN   978-0-8047-0863-0.
  5. "Echinocereus triglochidiatus in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  6. Thomas, Kathryn; Shryock, Daniel; Esque, Todd (4 October 2019). "Arizona Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus var. arizonicus) - A Systematic Data Assessment in Support of Recovery" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  7. "ITIS - Report: Echinocereus arizonicus". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  8. "EcoFlora - Echinocereus triglochidiatus". biokic3.rc.asu.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  9. "Hummingbirds pollinate claret cup cactus". Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine. 2018-05-30. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  10. Lozano, Rogelio; Reid, William (1982). "Claret cup cactus at White Sands National Monument". Cactus & Succulent Journal. 54: 196–201.
  11. Lorenzo, R.; Reid, W. (1980). "Life history of Echinocereus triglochidiatus at White Sands National Monument, New Mexico". Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science, Journal. 15: 13–14 via CABI Digital Library.