Ferocactus cylindraceus

(Engelmann) Orcutt

Cactography 1926(1): 5. 1926.

Common names: Desert barrel cactus California b arrel cactus
Illustrated
Basionym: Echinocactus viridescens var. cylindraceus Engelmann Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 14: 338. 1852
Synonyms: Ferocactus acanthodes var. eastwoodiae L. D. Benson Ferocactus acanthodes var. lecontei (Engelmann) G. E. Lindsay Ferocactus eastwoodiae
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 245. Mentioned on page 243, 244.

Stems straight, erect or nearly so (or leaning), cylindric, (20–)45–150(–300) × (20–)25–40(–50) cm; ribs (18–)21–31, shallowly notched immediately above each areole. Spines 12–32 per areole, central spines and larger radial spines whitish, yellow, pink, dull red, or brown; smallest spines per areole slender, sometimes bristlelike, less than 1 mm diam. (rarely absent); central spines 4 per areole, major rigid central spines surrounded by weaker subcentral spines; principal central spine moderately curved, sometimes twisted, usually not strongly hooked except on relatively young plants, annulate, adaxial surface usually flat or even concave, 36–140[–170] × 2–4.5 mm. Flowers maroon outside, yellow inside, 3–6 × 4–6 cm; inner tepals commonly yellow, (rarely with reddish midstripes, very rarely orange to red with a darker red midstripes); stigma lobes yellow (to red). Fruits ± readily dehiscent through basal pore, bright yellow (very rarely reddish), 30–40(–50) × 15–20 mm, leathery or fleshy, locule dry, hollow except for seeds. Seeds (1.5–)2–3 mm, pitted. 2n = 22.


Phenology: Flowering early spring–early summer (late summer–early fall).
Habitat: Interior chaparral, Mojave desert scrub, Sonoran desert scrub, usually on rocky slopes, igneous and limestone substrates
Elevation: 0-1500 m

Distribution

V4 448-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Calif., Nev., Utah, Mexico (Baja California, Sonora).

Discussion

The name Ferocactus acanthodes has been widely applied to this species but was based on a small plant of unknown origin (and the original specimen lost), and is therefore ambiguous (N. P. Taylor 1979).

The vernacular name “compass barrel” is sometimes misapplied to Ferocactus cylindraceus, which grows straight up in its old age, instead of leaning as would F. wislizeni.

The varieties recognized by L. D. Benson (1982) are not consistently distinguishable.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Ferocactus cylindraceus"
Allan D. Zimmerman +  and Bruce D. Parfitt +
(Engelmann) Orcutt +
Echinocactus viridescens var. cylindraceus +
Desert barrel cactus +  and California b arrel cactus +
Ariz. +, Calif. +, Nev. +, Utah +, Mexico (Baja California +  and Sonora). +
0-1500 m +
Interior chaparral, Mojave desert scrub, Sonoran desert scrub, usually on rocky slopes, igneous and limestone substrates +
Flowering early spring–early summer (late summer–early fall). +
Cactography +
Illustrated +
Ferocactus acanthodes var. eastwoodiae +, Ferocactus acanthodes var. lecontei +  and Ferocactus eastwoodiae +
Ferocactus cylindraceus +
Ferocactus +
species +