Echinocereus nicholii

(L. D. Benson) B. D. Parfitt

Phytologia 63: 157. 1987.

Common names: Nichol’s hedgehog cactus golden hedgehog cactus
Basionym: Echinocereus engelmannii var. nicholii L. D. Benson Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 4, 25: 258, plate 25, fig. B. 1944
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 167. Mentioned on page 161, 166.

Plants 16–30-branched, forming clumps. Stems erect to ascending, cylindric or somewhat tapering distally, 20–30 (–70) × (4–) 6–9 cm; ribs 10–13, crests slightly undulate; areoles 15–25 mm apart. Spines 13–16 per areole, usually straight, divergent-porrect, pale translucent yellow; radial spines 8–12 per areole, 5–25 mm; central spines 4–6 (–8) per areole, 30–72 mm, abaxial central spine usually descending, paler than other central spines, often fading whitish, somewhat flattened. Flowers 4–6 × 5–7 cm; flower tube 18–25 × 12–30 mm; flower tube hairs 1 mm; inner tepals usually pale-pink with midstripes slightly darker, proximal 1/3 greenish, 30–40 × 5–10 mm, tips relatively thin and delicate; anthers yellow; nectar chamber to 7 mm. Fruits green, becoming bronze where exposed to sun, 23–34 mm, pulp white. 2n = 22.


Phenology: Flowering Mar–Apr; fruiting Jun.
Habitat: Arizona Upland Subdivision of Sonoran Desert, exposed slopes, bajadas, hills, mountains, desert scrub, igneous and sedimentary substrates
Elevation: 300-900 m

Discussion

Although it was initially considered a variety of Echinocereus engelmannii, E. nicholii differs in chromosome number and a suite of morphologic characteristics. With its non-erumpent flower buds, diploid chromosome number, relatively small and usually pale flowers, green fruits, and exclusively yellow spines, E. nicholii more closely resembles E. ledingii than E. engelmannii.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thin" is not a number.

... more about "Echinocereus nicholii"
fading whitish +  and paler +
cushionlike +
circular to linear +
deciduous +  and persistent +
hourglass--shaped +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
Allan D. Zimmerman +  and Bruce D. Parfitt +
(L. D. Benson) B. D. Parfitt +
hardened +
Echinocereus engelmannii var. nicholii +
triangular +
curved +  and straight +
variously angled +  and flattened +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (7.2 cm72 mm <br />0.072 m <br />) +
proliferating +
flattened +  and cylindric +
Nichol’s hedgehog cactus +  and golden hedgehog cactus +
mucilaginous +
undulate +
Ariz. +  and Mexico (Sonora) +
300-900 m +
not separating +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
2.6 cm26 mm <br />0.026 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2.6 cm26 mm <br />0.026 m <br />) +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
bronze;green +
dehiscent +  and indehiscent +
persistent +, long +  and deciduous +
spheric +  and narrowly obovoid +
2.3 cm23 mm <br />0.023 m <br /> (3.4 cm34 mm <br />0.034 m <br />) +
Arizona Upland Subdivision of Sonoran Desert, exposed slopes, bajadas, hills, mountains, desert scrub, igneous and sedimentary substrates +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
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 +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
smooth +  and tuberculate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
Flowering Mar–Apr +  and fruiting Jun. +
mucilaginous +
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
triangular +
arillate +  and strophiolate +
dark reddish-brown +  and black +
0.4mm;12mm +
rugose +  and tuberculate +
spheric;obovoid +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
tuberculate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
yellow +  and pale translucent +
straight +
deciduous +
3mm +  and 150mm +
divergent-porrect +
8 (?) +  and 12 (?) +
roughened +  and smooth +
acicular +  and subulate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
decurrent +
unsegmented +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
yellow-green +  and dark green +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
erect;ascending +
tapering +  and cylindric +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
succulent +
6cm;9cm +
yellowish green +  and green +
tuberculate +
adventitious +
tuberlike +
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Echinocereus nicholii +
Echinocereus +
species +
dull +  and glossy +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
epiphytic;epiphytic;epiphytic +
decumbent +, pendent +, sprawling +, ascending +  and erect +
barrel-shaped +  and spheric +