Help with IDing this Mexican cacti

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gwfowler
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 7:16 pm
Location: Maine

Help with IDing this Mexican cacti

Post by gwfowler »

Hello all,
My apologies in advance if I step outside forum protocol, as this is my first posting.
We were recently in the central altiplano of Mexico and made a field trip one day to Valle de Tierra Blanca in the state of Queretaro. Splendid cactus habitat with dozens of different species readily apparent on the flood plain we were exploring.
The accompanying photo is of a particularly spectacular cactus (most less than 3" high and 1-2" across)with quite bright rosy-pink spines, flat tops to the cylinder with band of white spines along the top edge. Quite common in this area, but I saw them nowhere else. None were in bloom. Despite a 2 yr drought in this area, this species was quite succulent.
To my novice eye it looks like a mammillaria of some sort, but after several days of searching I've not been able to find a photo of what should be a quite distinctive species. I asked the local people with us what they called it & was told "biznaguita".
Can anyone offer assistance? Thanks in advance.

George Fowler
Brooklin, Maine

[url]http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gwfowler/ ... pg&.src=ph[/url]
daiv
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Post by daiv »

George,
Nothing to apologize for here.

That is definately an Echinocereus, but I can't say for sure right off hand which one. My first thought was dasyacanthus, but I don't think it grows in Queretaro.

If someone doesn't beat me to it, I should be able to ID it a little later.

Daiv
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
gwfowler
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 7:16 pm
Location: Maine

Echinocereus pectinatus

Post by gwfowler »

Hi Daiv,
How about E. pectinatus? I found a site through Google that had a field pic that looked an awful lot like my friend from Queretaro. They do range that far south.

Best, George
ihc6480
Posts: 5838
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 12:39 am
Location: Kansas City, Kansas--USA

Post by ihc6480 »

Hi George,

Not real good at IDing cacti but here I go. How about
Echinocereus pectinatus var. rubrispinus.

Bill
daiv
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Post by daiv »

Ok George,
I think you guys have it. I wasn't so sure because Anderson's book says "Nothern Mexico", but Queretaro isn't exactly Northern. Other sources seem to suggest that it does go futher south, however. And nothing else seems to fit the description.

Daiv
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
gwfowler
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 7:16 pm
Location: Maine

Thanks, Bill & Daiv, with the ID

Post by gwfowler »

Thanks for the prompt replies on the ID. These little pink-spined cacti sure do stand out in an otherwise earthen & green environment. As a first-timer to Cacti Guide, I'm enjoying this site very much. Helpful folks, good info, just what the Net was intended to be.

Best,
George
DieTer-Xz
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Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 5:18 pm

Post by DieTer-Xz »

And a very beautiful one too! Just to add something: Echinocereus pectinatus var. rubispinus is at the moment E. rigidissimus ssp. rubispinus.
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