Coryphantha ID?

[TexanEd]

A friend gave this cactus to me last year. It is a Texas native and comes from Val Verde county near the Pecos River and westward into the Big Bend area. I'm thinking it is a type of Coryphantha but what variety?

[iann]

Coryphantha cornifera?

[TexanEd]

The more I study it I'm thinking it might be Coryphantha echinus var. pectinatus. This would be the "pectinate" form that lacks the lower porrect central spines, but is otherwise the same as var. echinus.

[birdguy34]

I was gonna say echinus. Isn't the var. pectinatus(pectinata) just the name they used to give to the juvenile plants before they grow the central spines?
Chris

[TexanEd]

I was gonna say echinus. Isn't the var. pectinatus(pectinata) just the name they used to give to the juvenile plants before they grow the central spines?
Chris

Actually my cactus book states that it is possible that juvenile plants will not have the central spine, but also possible that adult plants won't develop the central spines. So I suppose it can go either way.

[peterb]

Hi Ed, nice looking plant! I'd be interested to see flowers if you get some this year or next.

This Coryphantha echinus is from Dagger Flat in the eastern Big Bend:



And this Coryphantha is from near Lajitas in Brewster County:



I guess the second plant is echinus as well, but there seem to be some fairly noticeable differences.

peterb

[TexanEd]

Hi Ed, nice looking plant! I'd be interested to see flowers if you get some this year or next.

This Coryphantha echinus is from Dagger Flat in the eastern Big Bend:



And this Coryphantha is from near Lajitas in Brewster County:



I guess the second plant is echinus as well, but there seem to be some fairly noticeable differences.

peterb

I have one bloom photo of my echinus from last year. Not a good photo but it will give you an idea. I hope to get better photo's of blooms this year.