Cochemiea boolii is a species of

cactus A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ...

in the subfamily Cactoideae with pink-petaled

flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

. It also has a natural defense system of

thorns Thorn(s) or The Thorn(s) may refer to: Botany * Thorns, spines, and prickles, sharp structures on plants * ''Crataegus monogyna'', or common hawthorn, a plant species Comics and literature * Rose and Thorn, the two personalities of two DC Com ...

protecting the green base of the plant. '' Cochemiea boolii'' is native to the area around Phoenix, Arizona, found near mostly rocky soils, coastal mountains, and in thin forests and often seen with ''Echinocereus scopulorum'', ''Echinocereus engelmannii'', ''Mammillaria swinglei'', and ''Ferocactus emoryi''. ''Mammillaria boolii'' is considered "near threatened" by IUCN and is under threat by urban development.

References

Plants described in 1953 boolii {{cactus-stub