Sclerocactus wrightiae

L. D. Benson

Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 38: 55, figs. 5, 6. 1966.

Common names: Wright’s cactus Wright’s fishhook cactus
EndemicConservation concern
Synonyms: Ferocactus wrightiae (L. D. Benson) N. P. Taylor Pediocactus wrightiae (L. D. Benson) Arp
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 200. Mentioned on page 199, 201.

Stems usually unbranched, usually pale green, depressed-spheric, spheric or short cylindric, (1–) 4–8 (–11) × 4–8 cm; ribs 13–16, tubercles often evident on ribs. Spines slightly or not obscuring stem; radial spines 5–10 (–14) per areole, pale to white, 6–17 (–20) mm; central spines (3–) 4 per areole, terete to angled; abaxial central spine 1 per areole, white to tan with tan to black tips, hooked, 10–30 (–44) × 0.5–1 mm; lateral adaxial spines 2 per areole, white or brown to reddish-brown or black, 10–21 (–35) × 0.8–1.5 mm; adaxial central spine white, flat to angled, 6–27 (–35) × 5–15 mm. Flowers fragrant, funnelform to campanulate, sometimes narrowly so, (2–) 3–4 × 2–4 cm; outer tepals with reddish-brown midstripes and white to cream or pinkish margins, oblanceolate, 13–23 × 3–7 mm; inner tepals white to cream or pink, oblanceolate, 25–30 × 5–7 mm; filaments magenta; anthers yellow. Fruits irregularly dehiscent, ovoid, barrel-shaped, 9–15 × 7–12 mm, scales few or absent; ovary papillate, appearing granular. Seeds black, 2 × 3.5 mm, testa with rounded papillae.


Phenology: Flowering late Apr–May.
Habitat: Exposed, highly alkaline, often bare clay hills, desert grasslands or saltbush flats
Elevation: 1300-1800 m

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Sclerocactus wrightiae displays considerable morphologic variation, presumably due to introgression with S. parviflorus; however, it can usually be recognized by its noticeably fragrant flowers with pink to white tepals, and magenta staminal filaments. Although S. wrightiae generally has smaller stems and flowers and shorter spines than S. parviflorus, there are many exceptions.

Sclerocactus wrightiae is known to occur only near the Fremont River and San Rafael Swell in Utah. Exploitation by cactus collectors is partly responsible for its scarcity.

Sclerocactus wrightiae is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Sclerocactus wrightiae"
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4.4 cm44 mm <br />0.044 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
2.7 cm27 mm <br />0.027 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (2.7 cm27 mm <br />0.027 m <br />) +
flat +  and angled +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
cushionlike +
spine-bearing +
circular to linear +
deciduous +  and persistent +
connected +
elliptic +  and pyriform +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Kenneth D. Heil +  and J. Mark Porter +
L. D. Benson +
hardened +
triangular +
pink +  and purplish-pink or black +
terete +  and angled +
proliferating +
flattened +  and cylindric +
Wright’s cactus +  and Wright’s fishhook cactus +
mucilaginous +
notched +
1300-1800 m +
not separating +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
fragrant +
campanulate +
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 />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
2.1 cm21 mm <br />0.021 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
red;pink;tan;green +
persistent +, long +  and deciduous +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
barrel--shaped +  and ovoid +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
Exposed, highly alkaline, often bare clay hills, desert grasslands or saltbush flats +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
oblanceolate +
2.1 cm21 mm <br />0.021 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.1 cm21 mm <br />0.021 m <br />) +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 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 +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
fimbriate +  and entire +
reddish-brown +
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (2.3 cm23 mm <br />0.023 m <br />) +
papillate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
Flowering late Apr–May. +
mucilaginous +
abscission +
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) +
greenish +  and white +
tuberculate +
triangular +
arillate +  and strophiolate +
0.4mm;12mm +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (?) +
shiny +  and glossy +
obovoid;pyriform;obovoid;pyriform;lenticular-reniform;comma--shaped;spheric +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (?) +
Endemic +  and Conservation concern +
1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
pale +  and white +
curved +  and straight +
deciduous +  and persistent +
5 (?) +  and 10 (?) +
annulate-ridged +, hairlike +, daggerlike +, subulate +  and acicular +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
hard +  and rigid +
decurrent +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
pale green +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
cylindric +, spheric +  and depressed-spheric +
succulent +
4cm;8cm +
creamy white +, yellow +, green +  and pink +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
flat-topped +
tuberculate +
Ferocactus wrightiae +  and Pediocactus wrightiae +
adventitious +
tuberlike +
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Sclerocactus wrightiae +
Sclerocactus +
species +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
lanceolate to oblanceolate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
dull +  and glossy +
papillate +
tan +  and black +
coalescent +
distinct +
epiphytic;epiphytic;epiphytic +
barrel-shaped +  and spheric +