Echinocactus grusonii Hildm.
Golden barrel, golden ball, mother-in-law’s cushion, golden barrel cactus
Golden barrel cactus is native to Mexico. Although very popular in cultivation, this cactus is rare and critically endangered in the wild. In 1990, most of the few remaining plants were to be flooded as part of a dam project in the Rio Moctezuma Valley in Mexico. A Mexican botanical garden scrambled to relocate as many plants as possible, and this conservation project led to their cultivation.
Plants: 8–51″ (20–130 cm) high, and 1–2½′ (40–80 cm) in diameter. Each globe has 21-37 ribs. Spines are in groups of 8-10, up to 1″ (3 cm) long. The yellow spines provide a golden sheen.
Flowers: Small yellow flowers appear on the top.
Fruits: Greenish fruits, round or slightly oval, are ⅜–¾″ (1.2–2 cm) long.
Habitats: Rich, volcanic, well-aerated, well-drained soil on sunny slopes.
Online References:
References:
5/25/2009 · Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Arizona · ≈ 1 × 1′ (39 × 38 cm) 
4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland · ≈ 2 × 1′ (62 × 41 cm) 
The golden barrels are on the left. · 4/11/1979 · Huntington Library Desert Garden, San Marino, California 
1/12/2012 
5/25/2009 · Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Arizona 
5/25/2009 · Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Arizona · ≈ 3½ × 2½′ (110 × 73 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| 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 | Echinocactus | From echinos, “hedgehog or spine,” and cactus |
| Species | grusonii | Named for industrialist and plant collector Hermann Gruson, founder of the Gruson-Gewächshäuser Magdeburg Exotische Pflanzensammlung botanical garden |
Echinocactus grusonii description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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