Echinocereus viridiflorus
(Nylon Hedgehog Cactus)
Echinocereus viridiflorus, Picture Canyon, Comanche National Grassland, Baca Co. 9635
Echinocereus viridiflorus, Picture Canyon, Comanche National Grassland, Baca Co. 9630
Echinocereus viridiflorus, Picture Canyon, Comanche National Grassland, Baca Co. 9633
Echinocereus viridiflorus, Picture Canyon, Comanche National Grassland, Baca Co. 9625
| Scientific Name | Echinocereus viridiflorus ssp. viridflorus | USDA PLANTS Symbol | ECVIV |
| Common Name | Nylon Hedgehog Cactus | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 912757 |
| Family | Cactaceae (Cactus) | SEINet Reference |
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| Description | Habitat: Plains and foothills (3500 to 8500 ft.); gravelly or silty soils in dry, open places (semidesert grasslands, short-grass prairies, oak woodlands) Plant: Cylindrical stems 2 to 13 inches tall and 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches across and may be branched at bases; densely covered with spines. Pads & Spines: Stems with 10 to 20 ribs; areoles with 12 to 40 mostly radial spines 3/8 to 1-1/2 inches long; a few (or no) central spines; spines are straight or slightly curved, whitish, yellowish, or purplish, often with dark tips. Inflorescence: Greenish-yellow flowers 3/4 to 1-1/2 tall and 3/8 to 1-1/4 inches across, with numerous long, narrow petals with thin, delicate tips; numerous stamens and yellow anthers. Bloom Period: May to June. Fruit: Small, almost round to oval, 3/8 to 5/8-inch across; yellowish-green to dark green, dark purple. References: "Cacti of Texas" by Powell, Weedin and Powell, "Flora of Colorado" by Jennifer Ackerfield, iNaturalist and SEINet. |
BONAP Distribution Map Map Color Key |
Colorado Status: Native |
© Tom Lebsack 2024
Banner photo: Castilleja rhexifolia and a brewing storm over the San Juan Mountains