''Sclerocactus polyancistrus'' 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 ...

known by several common names, including redspined fishhook cactus, Mojave fishhook cactus, pineapple cactus, and hermit cactus.

Distribution

''Sclerocactus polyancistrus'' is native to the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily in ...

in eastern

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and southern

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

. It grows in

desert scrub Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (ancient Greek xērós, “dry") shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this ...

, woodlands, and canyons, often on

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

substrate.

Description

The ''Sclerocactus polyancistrus'' cactus has a cylindrical stem up to 25 centimeters tall by 8 wide. They may grow in clusters. The cactus is densely spiny, each

areole In botany, areoles are small light- to dark-colored bumps on cacti out of which grow clusters of spines. Areoles are important diagnostic features of cacti, and identify them as a family distinct from other succulent plants. Gordon Rowley - W ...

has several reddish or white central spines with hooked tips and several more white spines around the edge. The fragrant flower is up to 10 centimeters wide and may be most any shade of pink or red-violet. The scaly, fleshy fruit is 2 or 3 centimeters long.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment: ''Sclerocactus polyancistrus''USDA Plants Profile: ''Sclerocactus polyancistrus''Flora of North America: ''Sclerocactus polyancistrus''''Sclerocactus polyancistrus'' Photo gallery
* polyancistrus Cacti of the United States Flora of the California desert regions Flora of Nevada Natural history of the Mojave Desert Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Cactus-stub