Pediocactus bradyi

L. D. Benson

Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 34: 19, figs. 13, 14. 1962.

Common names: Marble Canyon cactus Brady’s hedgehog cactus
EndemicConservation concern
Synonyms: Pediocactella bradyi (L. D. Benson) Doweld Pediocactus simpsonii subsp. bradyi (L. D. Benson) Halda Toumeya bradyi (L. D. Benson) W. Earle
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Mentioned on page 213.

Plants usually unbranched (rarely 2–12-branched). Stems subglobose to obovoid, 3.2–6.2 × 2.5–5 cm; areoles elliptic, lanulose. Spines smooth, relatively hard, spreading to recurved, somewhat pectinate, usually all radial (rarely with central spines); radial spines (7–)13–16(–18) per areole, tips bending downward, yellowish tan or white, 3–5 × 0.7 mm; central spines 0(–2) per areole, dark tan, rigid, straight or slightly curved, 3–4 mm. Flowers 1.5–2.2 × 1.5–3 cm; scales and outer tepals minutely toothed or denticulate or entire and undulate; outer tepals straw yellow with green or red-brown midstripes, 3–15 × 3–4.5 mm; inner tepals straw colored, 9–15 × 3–4.5 mm. Fruits green turning reddish brown, turbinate, 7–10 × 10 mm. Seeds brownish black, to 2.7 × 1.7–2 mm, papillate and rugose.


Phenology: Flowering early spring.
Habitat: Great Basin desert scrub, clay soils of ledges often overlain with limestone gravel
Elevation: 1000-1200 m

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Some authors have included Pediocactus winkleri and P. despainii as infraspecific taxa of P. bradyi. Chloroplast DNA sequence data strongly indicate a more distant relationship (see discussion under 8. P. winkleri).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Pediocactus bradyi"
Kenneth D. Heil +  and J. Mark Porter +
L. D. Benson +
Marble Canyon cactus +  and Brady’s hedgehog cactus +
1000-1200 m +
Great Basin desert scrub, clay soils of ledges often overlain with limestone gravel +
Flowering early spring. +
Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) +
Endemic +  and Conservation concern +
Pediocactella bradyi +, Pediocactus simpsonii subsp. bradyi +  and Toumeya bradyi +
Pediocactus bradyi +
Pediocactus +
species +