Pediocactus simpsonii

(Engelmann) Britton & Rose in N. L. Britton and A. Brown

in N. L. Britton and A. Brown, Ill. Fl. N. U.S. ed. 2, 2: 570. 1913.

Common names: Mountain cactus Simpson’s footcactus Simpon’s hedgehog cactus
IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Echinocactus simpsonii Engelmann Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 2: 197. 1863 (as simpsoni)
Synonyms: Echinocactus simpsonii var. minor Engelmann Echinocactus simpsonii var. robustior J. M. Coulter Mammillaria simpsonii Pediocactus simpsonii subsp. bensonii (Engelmann) Hochstätter Pediocactus simpsonii var. hermannii (W. T. Marshall) W. T. Marshall Pediocactus simpsonii subsp. idahoensis Hochstätter Pediocactus simpsonii var. indraianus Hochstätter Pediocactus simpsonii subsp. robustior (J. M. Coulter) Hochstätter Pediocactus simpsonii var. robustior (Engelmann) L. D. Benson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 214. Mentioned on page 212, 215.

Plants only occasionally branched. Stems depressed-ovoid to ovoid or globose, 2.5–15 (–25) × 2.5–15 cm; areoles circular to oval, villous. Spines smooth, relatively hard, distinguishable as radial and central; radial spines 15–35 per areole, widely spreading, white, slender, 3–13 mm; central spines 4–11 per areole, reddish-brown (rarely black) with basal 1/2 cream or yellow, rigid, straight or slightly curved, 5–21 × 0.3 mm. Flowers 1.2–3 × 1–2.5 cm; scales and outer tepals minutely toothed and laciniate or entire and often undulate; outer tepals with greenish brown midstripes, oblong-cuneate, 9–20 × 3–5 (–6) mm; inner tepals white, pink, magenta, yellow, or yellow-green, 12–25 × 4.5–6 (–9) mm. Fruits green tinged with red, drying reddish-brown, short cylindric, 6–11 × 5–10 mm. Seeds gray to black, 2–3 × 1.5–2 mm, papillate but not rugose.


Phenology: Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat: Pinyon-juniper woodlands, sagebrush, montane, and prairie grasslands, coniferous forests
Elevation: 1400-3500 m

Distribution

V4 401-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., S.Dak., Utah, Wyo.

Discussion

Pediocactus simpsonii is an exceedingly variable species. The segregation of the many forms, varieties, and subspecies on the basis of morphology, however, is difficult to support, given the continuous range of variation in stem size and flower color over its geographic range. The species has the widest distribution of any Pediocactus, and is found at the highest elevation.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thin" is not a number. "broad" is not a number.

... more about "Pediocactus simpsonii"
cushionlike +
circular to linear +
deciduous +  and persistent +
circular +  and oval +
Kenneth D. Heil +  and J. Mark Porter +
(Engelmann) Britton & Rose in N. L. Britton and A. Brown +
hardened +
yellow +  and cream +
Echinocactus simpsonii +
triangular +
curved +  and straight +
5mm +  and 21mm +
terete +  and flat +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (?) +
proliferating +
flattened +  and cylindric +
Mountain cactus +, Simpson’s footcactus +  and Simpon’s hedgehog cactus +
mucilaginous +
Ariz. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Nev. +, N.Mex. +, S.Dak. +, Utah +  and Wyo. +
1400-3500 m +
not separating +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
tubular +, urceolate +  and 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 />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
reddish-brown;green tinged with red +
persistent +, long +  and deciduous +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
cylindric +
dry +, fleshy +  and juicy +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Pinyon-juniper woodlands, sagebrush, montane, and prairie grasslands, coniferous forests +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 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 +
entire +  and fimbriate +
greenish brown +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
deciduous +  and persistent +
Flowering spring–early summer. +
mucilaginous +
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
in N. L. Britton and A. Brown, Ill. Fl. N. U.S. ed. +
greenish +  and white +
3;2;2;30 +
undulate +, entire +, laciniate +  and toothed +
arillate +  and strophiolate +
gray +  and black +
0.4mm;12mm +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
not rugose +  and papillate +
pyriform;obovoid +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
curved +  and straight +
deciduous +  and persistent +
6mm +  and 30mm +
distinguishable +
finely puberulent +  and glabrous +
15 (?) +  and 35 (?) +
pectinate +, awl-shaped +  and hairlike +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
decurrent +
unsegmented +
gray-green +  and green +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
depressed-ovoid +  and ovoid or globose +
succulent +
2.5cm;15cm +
yellow +  and green +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
tuberculate +
Echinocactus simpsonii var. minor +, Echinocactus simpsonii var. robustior +, Mammillaria simpsonii +, Pediocactus simpsonii subsp. bensonii +, Pediocactus simpsonii var. hermannii +, Pediocactus simpsonii subsp. idahoensis +, Pediocactus simpsonii var. indraianus +, Pediocactus simpsonii subsp. robustior +  and Pediocactus simpsonii var. robustior +
adventitious +
tuberlike +
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Pediocactus simpsonii +
Pediocactus +
species +
dull +  and glossy +
not confluent +
mammillate +, cylindroid +, truncate-conic +, conic +  and pyramidal +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
epiphytic;epiphytic;epiphytic +
hanging +  and erect to prostrate +
barrel-shaped +  and spheric +