Ferocactus emoryi

Ferocactus emoryi, known commonly as Emory's barrel cactus, Coville's barrel cactus and traveler's friend, is a barrel cactus in the genus Ferocactus.

Ferocactus emoryi
Ferocactus emoryi subsp. rectispinus at the botanical garden of Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini, Genova Pegli
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Ferocactus
Species:
F. emoryi
Binomial name
Ferocactus emoryi
Synonyms
  • Echinocactus emoryi
  • Ferocactus rectispinus
  • Echinocactus covillei (Britton & Rose) A.Berger
  • Ferocactus covillei Britton & Rose

Description
This specimen in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is labeled "Fishhook Cactus"

Ferocactus emoryi is spherical or cylindrical solitary barrel cactus, light green to glaucous, reaching a diameter of 60–100 centimetres (24–39 in) and a height of 2–2.5 metres (6 ft 7 in – 8 ft 2 in). It has 15 to 30 ribs with tubercles, especially in the juvenile stage. The spines are white to reddish. The central spine is very strong, 4–10 cm long, while the seven to twelve radial spines reach lengths of up to 6 cm. The large and funnel-shaped flowers are usually red or yellow, reach lengths of up to 7.5 centimeters and have a diameter of 5 to 7 centimeters. The fruit is ovoidal, about 5 cm long. The subspecies F.e. rectispinus has been found with center spines as much as ten inches (25 centimeters) in length [1] or even thirteen inches (32 centimeters) .[2] These are the longest spines of any cactus.

Distribution

This species is found in nature in Mexico (Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California Sur) and in the United States (Arizona).

Habitat

Ferocactus emoryi grows in the desert scrubs, hillsides, rocky slopes and gravely rocky or sandy soils, at an elevation of about 0–1,200 metres (0–3,937 ft) above sea level.

Subspecies
  • Ferocactus emoryi var. emoryi
  • Ferocactus emoryi var. rectispinus (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor

References
  1. Lindsay, George (March–April 1976). "Baja California Revisited - Part II". Cactus and Succulent Journal. 48 (2): 57.
  2. coulter, Dr. John M. (1896). "Preliminary Revision of North American species of Echinocactus, Cereus and Opuntia". Contrib. U.S. National Herbarium. 3: 362.

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