Fishhook barrel cactus
| Ferocactus wislizeni | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Genus: | Ferocactus |
| Species: | F. wislizeni |
| Binomial name | |
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Ferocactus wislizeni (Engelm.) Britt. & Rose |
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| Synonyms | |
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Echinocactus wislizeni Engelm. |
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Echinocactus wislizeni Engelm.
Ferocactus wislizeni, the fishhook barrel cactus, also called Arizona barrel cactus, candy barrel cactus, and Southwestern barrel cactus, is a cylindrical barrel-shaped cactus.
Some sources mistakenly spell the epithet "wislizenii." Correct spelling is with one "i," per ICN article 60C.2.
The fishhook barrel cactus typically grows to a diameter of roughly two feet and three inches. A height of three to six feet. However, specimens as wide as three feet and tall as ten feet have been recorded. The common name comes from the spines, which are thick and hooked. It has a leathery asparagus green cortex (skin) with approximately 15-28 ribs per cactus. Its flowers are yellow to red-orange and appear atop the cactus fruit during the summer months. The fruits are green when unripe, yellow after the flower dries up, and persist atop the cactus long after the flower is gone, sometimes for more than a year.
In adulthood, fishhook barrel cacti generally lean southward, toward the sun, earning them the nickname "compass barrel cactus." One theory about why this happens is, the afternoon sun is so intense it slows the growth on the exposed side, causing the plant to grow unevenly. Older barrels can lean so far they uproot themselves and fall over, especially after heavy rains when the soil is loose. Its life cycle is 50-100 years.
Like Sclerocactus, Ferocactus typically grows in areas where water flows irregularly or depressions where water can accumulate for short periods of time. They are not associated with washes and arroyos but rather grow along rocky ridges and open bajadas.
The "fishhook" spines and the armored web of spines enclosing the cactus body are a defense against herbivory. Rarely a mature barrel cactus is found hollowed out by javelina but overall prickly pear experience much higher levels of damage from more species. Barrel cactus spines pose an extreme hazard for handling, penetrating boots and gloves. The roots are quite long but very shallow.
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Wikipedia