Echinocactus polycephalus var. polycephalus

Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 190.

Stems gray-green. Spines red to gray, infrequently straw colored, canescent. Fruit scales reddish to maroon, aging tan or black, 10–14 mm, usually shorter than dried tepals at fruit apex, spine tips canescent with strap-shaped, unicellular trichomes. Seeds rounded or faceted with flat planes transversing testa, 2.8–4.7 mm, papillate-roughened (exposed surfaces of testa cells protruding, hemispheric to hexagonally faceted, appearing dull except for microscopically sparkling individual facets). 2n = 22.


Phenology: Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat: Rocky flats and washes, bajadas, rock ledges, Mojave and Sonoran desert scrub, igneous and calcareous substrates
Elevation: [10-]30-1700 m

Distribution

V4 356-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Calif., Nev., Mexico (Sonora)

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

No values specified.

cushionlike +
confluent +  and spaced +
circular to linear +
deciduous +  and persistent +
nearly circular +  and oblong +
Allan D. Zimmerman +  and Bruce D. Parfitt +
Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow +
hardened +
triangular +
2 +  and 50 +
hemispheric +  and hexagonally faceted +
straight +  and curved +
ridged +, flattened +  and terete +
proliferating +
flattened +  and cylindric +
not mucilaginous +
Ariz. +, Calif. +, Nev. +  and Mexico (Sonora) +
[10-]30-1700 m +
not separating +
5.5 cm55 mm <br />0.055 m <br /> (5.8 cm58 mm <br />0.058 m <br />) +
salverform +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
whitish tan;pinkish +
persistent +, long +  and deciduous +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
dry +, fleshy +  and juicy +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
Rocky flats and washes, bajadas, rock ledges, Mojave and Sonoran desert scrub, igneous and calcareous substrates +
pale tan +  and white +
2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br /> (3.2 cm32 mm <br />0.032 m <br />) +
2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br /> (2.6 cm26 mm <br />0.026 m <br />) +
0.3cm;1.5cm +
deciduous +  and persistent +
rudimentary +
flat +  and terete +
nearly +  and microscopic +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
tuberculate +
fluted;spheric;depressed-spheric or club-shaped +
spine-tipped +, serrate +  and entire +
fimbriate +, entire +  and toothed +
deciduous +  and persistent +
Flowering Jul–Aug. +
not mucilaginous +
dehiscent +, , +, rupturing +  and indehiscent +
abscission +
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts +
curving +
not constricted +
prominent +
broadly rounded +  and nearly keeled +
yellow +  and reddish +
triangular +
arillate +  and strophiolate +
dark maroon +  and black +
0.4mm;12mm +
dull +  and shiny +
papillate-roughened +
faceted;rounded +
0.28 cm2.8 mm <br />0.0028 m <br /> (0.47 cm4.7 mm <br />0.0047 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
straw colored +, red +  and gray +
straight +  and curved +
deciduous +  and persistent +
6 (?) +  and 14 (?) +
annulate-ridged +, flattened +  and abaxially ridged +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
decurrent +
unsegmented +
9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
gray-green +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
spheric +  and short cylindric +
succulent +
canescent +  and glabrous +
15cm;30cm +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
protruding +  and hidden +
tuberculate +
Homalocephala +
adventitious +
tuberlike +
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Echinocactus polycephalus var. polycephalus +
Echinocactus polycephalus +
variety +
flat +  and convex +
dull +  and glossy +
canescent +  and glabrous +
spinelike +
strap--shaped +
epiphytic;epiphytic;epiphytic +
not deep-seated +
barrel-shaped +  and spheric +