Hedgehog Cactus

Echinocereus Engelmannii, the Engelmann's Hedgehog Cactus, is what this flowering plant seems to be, although I cannot be certain because there are a number of varieties of Echinocereus in the southern parts of the country, especially one found in New Mexico and Texas. Also, this is the only one I have ever seen and it does bear a resemblance to the Prickly Pear cacti. The web tells me that the plant often grows in large clusters and that the cactus is somewhat variable in the color, size and distribution of spines, and occurs in a number of regional varieties, including acicularis, armatus, howei, munzii, purpureus and variegatus, but all are generally larger and more heavily spined than similar species. Spines tend to be thickest for plants towards the west of the range, and are colored in various shades from white to dark brown, on the same plant. The longest spine is always white, however. Like most hedgehog cacti, the spring flowers of echinocereus engelmannii are very bright and colorful. They are followed by spiny, greenish fruits that turn red when ripe. Stems are upright at first but may fall to the ground with old age and grow laterally. This is one of the most common of the hedgehog cacti. Interestingly enough, the Claret Cup cactus is of the same genus.

This photo was taken on the June 5, 2010 trek to image the pictographs near Head of Sinbad in southcentral Utah.