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Sclerocactus polyancistrus from Sud Tonapah, Nevada
A colourful assortment of red and white spines.
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Description:
It is easily recognized by
its big
stem size, numerous hooked, dense,
central spines (five to
nine) clothing and obscuring stems
in a colourful assortment of red and white
spines and large flowers with spicy, pungent
odour.
Stem:
Single or in
clusters, cylindric or +/-
elongate,
10-40 × 5-9 cm; ribs 13-17.
Spines:
Dense, obscuring stems;
radial spines 10-18 per areole, white, straight, flat, 20-50 mm,
central spines 9-12 per
areole, 5-8 hooked, red or reddish
brown (infrequently yellow), some hooked, 30-100 mm;
adaxial
central spines usually 3 per areole, white, usually curved or
twisted, flat, usually 35-130.
Flower:
With spicy, pungent
odour,
funnelform, 5-10 cm; outer greenish purple
midstripes and
rose-purple or magenta margins, rose-purple to magenta (infrequently
white), blooming in Apr-Jun.
Fruit:
green, tan, or red,
barrel-shaped, 2.2-5 cm,
dry at
maturity; Notes: S. polyancistrus is the
only component of the
genus that lacks
papillae on the
style,
and its
style possesses grooves, somewhat reminiscent of
Ferocactus.
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Family:
Cactaceae
(Cactus Family)
Scientific Name:
Sclerocactus polyancistrus
Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow) Britton & Rose
Pubblished
in: Cact. 3: 213. 1922.
Common Names include:
-
Mojave
eagle-claw cactus,
- Hermit
cactus, Pineapple cactus,
- Red-spined
fishhook cactus
-
Many-Spined
Devil Claw
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Distribution:
The range of occurrence of S. polyancistrus
goes from South-western Nevada to south-eastern California.
Habitat:
It grows in a very
arid and dry environment, on
rocky alluvial, often
alkaline soils, on basalt rock hillsides
limestone hillsides and desert pavement; on south to southwest-facing slopes among Mojave creosote-bush and desert scrub; 500-2500
m. |
Synonyms:
- Echinocactus polyancistrus Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow,
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 3: 272. 1856, U.S. Senate Rept. Expl. & Surv.
R. R. Route a
Pacific Ocean. Botany. 4:29 pl.2,f.1-2, 1857.
- Pediocactus polyancistrus
(Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow)
G. Arp, Cact. & Succt. J. (US) 44:222, 1972.
- Ferocactus polyancistrus
(Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow) N. P. Taylor
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This plant need a
full sun exposure
(Avoid any shadow!)
Cultivation: This is one of the most beautiful cacti but also
one of the more difficult to be cultivated.
Very easily
rot! Only few people have tried for long time to cultivate it,
usually after a few months the plant inexorably
dies.
It’s thought that’s better to watch this species in photo or in
the natural
habitat
rather than to try to cultivate it.
For this reasons the plant is usually
grafted on a
frost
hardy
stock.
This plant need
full sun and a very good
ventilation, especially in
winter.
Propagation:
Seeds are extremely difficult to
germinate (only 2-3 percent of seeds
germinate) The
germination is really difficult and if some
seedling
finally sprout, as they start to grows they disappear one by one. Grafting is often used to speed growth rate and to
create a back-up for plants in collection. |
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