Echinocereus engelmannii (Hedgehog cactus)

FloraFinder uses cookies only for correct operation. More info. Okay

Echinocereus engelmannii (Parry ex Engelmann) Lemaire 1868

Hedgehog cactus, calico cactus, dagger-spine hedgehog, Engelmann’s hedgehog, Howe hedgehog, Indian strawberry cactus, Munz’s hedgehog cactus, needle-spine hedgehog, purple-spined hedgehog, strawberry hedgehog, varied-spine hedgehog, Engelmann hedgehog

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Caryophyllidae	Cacti, many other succulents, carnivorous plants, and leadworts
Order	Caryophyllales	Includes cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, and many carnivorous plants
Family	Cactaceae	Succulent (water-storing) plants, often spiny
Genus	Echinocereus	Ribbed, small to medium-sized cacti
Species	engelmannii	After Georg(e) Engelmann (1809-1884), a German-born St. Louis physician and botanist, and prolific author on cacti, North American conifers and oaks

About plant names...

This hedgehog cactus is native to southwestern North America. They are found in the San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, White and Inyo Mountains, and deserts. Echinocereus is from the Greek for hedgehog or sea urchin, and engelmannii is for its discoverer, the prolific German-American botanist George Engelmann.

Identification: Plants occur in groups of up to 60 stems, with clumps reaching up to 3' (1 m) around. Cylindrical green stems with 10-15 ribs, 1¾-24" (5-60 cm) high and up to 3½" (9 cm) around, are nearly invisible under the copious spines. Spine groups are highly variable. 2-7 central spines up to 2½" (7 cm) long are haphazardly oriented and variable in color. Another 6-14 radial spines, smaller and whitish, lie close to the stem surface. Funnel-shaped flowers are usually deep magenta, varying from pink to red-purple. They bloom from May to June. Fruits are red, up to 1" (3 cm) long.

Echinocereus engelmannii flowers from the Desert National Wildlife Range, north of Las Vegas, NV. 4/26/2005. By Stan Shebs.

Edibility: Fruits are edible.

References:

Anderson, Edward F., The Cactus Family, Timber Press, 2001, p. 234

Online References:

CactiGuide.com

George and Audrey DeLange's Arizona wildflower site

Desert-tropicals.com

CalPhotos

The Jepson Manual

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 7 × 4½" (18 × 12 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 8 × 6" (19 × 16 cm)

4/28/2018 · Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 10 × 6" (24 × 16 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 6 × 4" (14 × 10 cm)

5/5/2014 · American Southwest (AZ or TX) · By Jacquelyn Boyt

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
≈ 17 × 12" (44 × 29 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 7 × 4½" (18 × 12 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 4½ × 7" (12 × 18 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 6 × 9" (16 × 23 cm)

Cereus engelmannii Parry ex Engelmann 1852

Cereus engelmannii var. chrysocentrus Engelmann & Bigelow 1856

Echinocereus engelmannii var. chrysocentrus (Engelmann & Bigelow) Rümpler 1885

Cereus engelmannii var. variegatus Engelmann & Bigelow 1856

Echinocereus engelmannii var. variegatus (Engelmann & Bigelow) Rümpler 1885

Cereus munzii Parish 1926

Echinocereus munzii (Parish) L. D. Benson 1941

Echinocereus engelmannii var. munzii (Parish) P. Pierce & Fosberg 1933

Echinocereus engelmannii var. acicularis L. D. Benson 1969

Echinocereus engelmannii var. armatus L. D. Benson 1969

Echinocereus engelmannii var. purpureus L. D. Benson 1969

Echinocereus engelmannii var. howei L. D. Benson 1974

Echinocereus engelmannii description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 5 × 8" (13 × 20 cm)

4/28/2018 · Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 8 × 6" (19 × 16 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 5 × 4" (13 × 10 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 7 × 4½" (18 × 12 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 6 × 8" (16 × 19 cm)

5/3/2018 · Ryan Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 6 × 4½" (15 × 12 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 7 × 4½" (18 × 12 cm)

5/3/2018 · Ryan Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 7 × 5" (16 × 13 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 31 × 21" (78 × 52 cm)

5/3/2018 · Ryan Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 6 × 5" (16 × 12 cm)

4/28/2018 · Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 6 × 5" (15 × 13 cm)

4/28/2018 · Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 16 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 7 × 5" (16 × 13 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 16 × 17" (41 × 42 cm)

4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

5/3/2018 · Ryan Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 7 × 6" (18 × 16 cm)

Range: Zones 7-10:

About this map...