-
Great Basin fishhook cactus, Sclerocactus pubispinus, Nevada, Snake Range, Black Horse Canyon, Snake Valley drainage, elevation 2090 m (6850 ft).This is the only yellow-flowered Sclerocactus I am aware of. The species is found in a narrow band straddling the central Nevada-Utah border.Jumped ahead in 2016 to post these photographs from a May 8-11 expedition to document rare Nevada cacti for ongoing research projects. The rest of 2016 is up next!
-
This cactus is uncommon in California. It is a single stemmed-plant, and three separate individuals are seen here in proximity. East of Death Valley, March 17th 2012, Image I12-0895.
-
hermit cactus, Sclerocactus polyancistrus, White Mountains, elevation 1705 m (5595 ft)
-
Nye pincushion cactus, Sclerocactus nyensis, Nevada, Montezuma Range, Clayton Valley drainage, elevation 1605 m (5265 ft).In this shallow rhyolite-tuff gravel habitat, the plants tend to remain small, and are practically invisible when not flowering, often contracting enough to re-bury themselves completely in the light-colored gravel, which no doubt protects the plants in several ways.Jumping ahead in 2016 to post these photographs from a May 8-11 expedition to document rare Nevada cacti for ongoing research projects. Then will go back and post the rest of the year!
-
Sclerocactus parviflorus Clover & Jotter (syn. S. whipplei var. roseus (Clover) L. Benson), Sept, 24, 2010, Grand Co., Utah, blurry but closer view of seeds, spines.
-
Sclerocactus brevispinus Heil & Martin. Does not continue to grow/elongate but instead remains globose and may offset. Has rounded, reddish-brown buds with pink flowers. Central spines are short, almost absent or fully absent. Also known as Pariette cactus (a name that the Utah Native Plant Society helped to recommend to the USFWS). It should not be referred to as a "fishhook" cactus as many sources do. (Also the illustration of this species in final volume of the Intermountain Flora series, Vol. 2A and published in 2012, is somewhat confusing and seems to depict a hybrid.)This is a federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act (listed as "threatened" - in Sept of 2007 it was recommend to be listed as endangered but that action was considered "warranted but precluded" and its listing has not been "upgraded"). Its habitat is under seige for oil and gas mining yet it is only know from three main occurrences within a very short area. It has only relatively recently been separated recognized as a separate species and was once lumped under the umbrella of S. glaucus (which only occurs in Colorado as presently understood) and S. wetlandicus which like S. brevispinus only occurs in Utah and the two hybridize. S. wetlandicus has a larger range (although it still a highly restricted endemic) and is generally large and adults are differently shaped, and there are bud and seed differences, and to some degree their habitats also differ.May 6, 2006, Duchesne Co., Utah.
-
Nye pincushion cactus, Sclerocactus nyensis, with two different stages of juvenile plants, Nevada, Reveille Range, Hot Creek Valley drainage, elevation 1575 m (5170 ft).Good to see active natural reproduction in this species!Jumping ahead in 2016 to post these photographs from a May 8-11 expedition to document rare Nevada cacti for ongoing research projects. Then will go back and post the rest of the year!
-
Sclerocactus parviflorus Clover & Jotter (syn. S. whipplei var. roseus (Clover) L. Benson), Sept. 24, 2010, Colorado Plateau, Professor Valley, Grand Co., Utah, roughly 4300 ft. elev.S. parviflorus is initially globose, but then elongates and becomes cylindroid at a younger age compared to the group of smaller Sclerocactus species grows faster and has different flowers and buds.Sclerocacti in general are not common, but this is the most widespread species and one of its names is "Common Little Barrel Cactus." Another name that sometimes is used is "Fishhook" but that is a name that really should only be used with species in the genus Mammillaria. Some other names include a translation of the specific epithet and so sometimes one sees "Little flower" or "Littleflower" yet this species has perhaps some of the largest flowers in the genus. So to use a name like "Small flower fishhook cactus" as USDA currently does is really doubly inappropriate (even though there are no standard for common names, there is no reason to retain a common name that is confusing or misleading; when it comes to the scientific names that involve rules of publication and priority, we don't have the same luxury). This should also not be referred to with the name "Whipple" nor referred to as S. whipplei which is a different species (unless you want to specifically refer to it as var. roseus, but you cannot leave out the "var."). Referencing it as "Little" barrel simply helps to distinguish it from other larger barrel cacti in the genera such as Ferocactus and Echinocactus (which do not within the Colorado Plateau), and is an innovation of cactus expert Dorde Wright Woodruff.
-
Nye pincushion cactus, Sclerocactus nyensis, elevation 1625 m (5335 ft)
-
Sclerocactus parviflorus Clover & Jotter (syn. S. whipplei var. roseus (Clover) L. Benson), Sept. 24, 2010, Colorado Plateau, Professor Valley Grand Co., Utah, note the biological soil crusts, and the dessicated, blackend flowers (upper left on stem), elev. approx. 4300 ft.Sclerocacti in general are not common, but this is the most widespread species and one of its names is "Common Little Barrel Cactus." Another name that sometimes is used is "Fishhook" but that is a name that really should only be used with species in the genus Mammillaria. Some other names include a translation of the specific epithet and so sometimes one sees "Little flower" or "Littleflower" yet this species has perhaps some of the largest flowers in the genus. So to use a name like "Small flower fishhook cactus" as USDA currently does is really doubly inappropriate (even though there are no standard for common names, there is no reason to retain a common name that is confusing or misleading; when it comes to the scientific names that involve rules of publication and priority, we don't have the same luxury). This should also not be referred to with the name "Whipple" nor referred to as S. whipplei which is a different species (unless you want to specifically refer to it as var. roseus, but you cannot leave out the "var."). Referencing it as "Little" barrel simply helps to distinguish it from other barrel cacti in the genera such as Ferocactus and Echinocactus (which do not within the Colorado Plateau), and is an innovation of cactus expert Dorde Wright Woodruff.
-
Nye pincushion cactus, Sclerocactus nyensis, Nevada, Reveille Range, Hot Creek Valley drainage, elevation 1575 m (5175 ft). Also visible is desert pincushion (Chaenactis stevioides).Jumping ahead in 2016 to post these photographs from a May 8-11 expedition to document rare Nevada cacti for ongoing research projects. Then will go back and post the rest of the year!
-
Note: a scan of a photograph of this same shot was posted here on Dec. 29, 2010 however I just happened to come across the original slide today, May 20, 2014, of this picture originally taken exactly 30 years ago, i.e. on May 20, 1984. The rotation/orientation of the picture was also off and with a newer scanner, the end result is a significant improvement in quality and more accurate in general, so hence the need to replace it. The text that follows was previously written towards the end of 2010.Sclerocactus parviflorus Clover & Jotter (syn. S. whipplei var. roseus (Clover) L. Benson), May 20, 1984, Grand Co., Utah. These plants should never be referred to as simply S. whipplei which is a different species.The flowers of this species are often described as "magenta" but that is inaccurate in that magenta is a color that first of all contains blue (and cacti don't contain blue pigments, but one can argue that color should also relate to how the eye perceives it) and more importantly is a fairly dark shade of blue-purple. While S. parviflorus can less commonly have yellow to white flowers, its flower color is most often a shade of pink as above.Sclerocacti in general are not common, but this is the most widespread species and one of its names is "Common Little Barrel Cactus." Another name that sometimes is used is "Fishhook" but that is a name that really should only be used with species in the genus Mammillaria. Some other names include a translation of the specific epithet and so sometimes one sees "Little flower" or "Littleflower" yet this species has perhaps some of the largest flowers in the genus. So to use a name like "Small flower fishhook cactus" as USDA currently does is really doubly inappropriate (even though there are no standards for common names, there is no reason to retain a common name that is confusing or misleading; when it comes to the scientific names that involve rules of publication and priority, we don't have the same luxury). This should also not be referred to with the name "Whipple" nor referred to as S. whipplei which is a different species (unless you want to specifically refer to it as var. roseus, but you cannot leave out the "var."). Referencing it as "Little" barrel simply helps to distinguish it from other barrel cacti in the genera such as Ferocactus and Echinocactus (which do not occur within the Colorado Plateau), and is an innovation of cactus expert Dorde Wright Woodruff.
-
Nye pincushion cactus, Sclerocactus nyensis, Nevada, San Antonio Mountains, Big Smoky Valley drainage, elevation 1830 m (6005 ft).In this deeper and finer-grained soil the plants tend to become large enough that they remain exposed above the surface even during drought.Jumping ahead in 2016 to post these photographs from a May 8-11 expedition to document rare Nevada cacti for ongoing research projects. Then will go back and post the rest of the year!
-
Nye pincushion cactus, Sclerocactus nyensis, with fruit, flower, and bud, Nevada, Montezuma Range, Clayton Valley drainage, elevation 1625 m (5325 ft).In this shallow rhyolite-tuff gravel habitat, the plants tend to remain small, and are practically invisible when not flowering, often contracting enough to re-bury themselves completely in the light-colored gravel, which no doubt protects the plants in several ways.Jumping ahead in 2016 to post these photographs from a May 8-11 expedition to document rare Nevada cacti for ongoing research projects. Then will go back and post the rest of the year!
-
Nye pincushion cactus, Sclerocactus nyensis, Nevada, San Antonio Mountains, Big Smoky Valley drainage, elevation 1840 m (6030 ft).In this deeper and finer-grained soil the plants tend to become large enough that they remain exposed above the surface even during drought.Jumping ahead in 2016 to post these photographs from a May 8-11 expedition to document rare Nevada cacti for ongoing research projects. Then will go back and post the rest of the year!
-
2014 California Academy of Sciences
CalPhotos
-
2014 California Academy of Sciences
CalPhotos
-
2014 California Academy of Sciences
CalPhotos
-
2014 California Academy of Sciences
CalPhotos
-
-
-
-
-