WILDFLOWERS OF NEW MEXICO

With stems 7-inches to 3-feet tall and 14–25-inches wide, this is the largest barrel cactus in the U. S. One near El Paso, TX, reached 6-feet tall. Note the dense covering of rigid spines with a distinctive flat, hooked central spine angled downward, and the circle of orange or yellow flowers and yellow fruit. Commonly used as a landscape accent, but can’t withstand temperatures below zero.

FLOWERS: Late summer–fall (as late as December). Petal-like tepals red, yellow, or orange, 1 1/2–2-inches (4–5 cm) wide. Several flowers at a time bloom around the apex. Fruit is barrel-shaped, yellow, fleshy, 1 1/2–2-inches (4–5 cm) long, persistent in a ring around apex.

SPINES: Stems with 20+ ribs partially obscured by spines; areoles have 4 central spines, reddish, flat, cross-ribbed, the lower one 1 1/2–4 3/4-inches (36–120 mm) long, angled downward and ending in a hook; 16–20 radial spines, white to gray, 1 3/8–2 1/8-inches (3.5–5.4 cm) long, the side ones bristle-like and flat against the stem, the upper and lower ones rigid, angled outward.

HABITAT: Rocky, limestone, sandy soils, flats, hills,mesas; desert shrub and grasslands, foothill slopes.

ELEVATION: 3,500-5,200 feet.

RANGE: AZ, NM, TX; Mexico.

SIMILAR SPECIES: The barrel shape, dense cover of thorns and long, hooked central spines distinguish this species. Giant Fishhook Cactus, F. hamatacanthus, in southern Otero County, NM and west and south TX, is smaller and has slender hooked central spines.

NM COUNTIES: Southern NM desert habitats: Dona Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Luna.