Scientific name:
Echinomastus mariposensis, sclerocactus mariposensis
Common name:
Lloyd's pineapple cactus, mariposa cactus
Range:
Big Bend area of Texas
Form:
Small cylinders, solitary, up to 4 inches tall and 2.5 inches across
Habitat:
Chihuahuan Desert scrub; generally open, rocky places, from 1,700 to 4,000 feet
Flowers:
Pale yellow to almost white, appearing between February and March
Distribution map for echinomastus mariposensis
In the US, Echinomastus mariposensis, an uncommon species, occurs only in and around Big Bend National Park, close to the Rio Grande; in open, rocky places at low to medium elevations, and on limestone substrates.
Stems usually have 21 ribs, spirally arranged, though these are largely hidden by the dense spination. There are between 23 and 30 spines per areole, pale brown to grayish-white. The longest spines (up to 0.7 inches) are bluish-grey or darker brown at the tips, much more evident when wet. Of the four central spines, three point upwards, the other angles down, and is somewhat curved. The remaining spines, all radial, are loosely pressed against the stem.
Flowers form in spring, in a cluster at the tip of the stem. Tepals are yellowish-white, with pink or dull green midstripes. Stamens are yellow and the stigma lobes are yellowish or green.
Stems usually have 21 ribs, spirally arranged, though these are largely hidden by the dense spination. There are between 23 and 30 spines per areole, pale brown to grayish-white. The longest spines (up to 0.7 inches) are bluish-grey or darker brown at the tips, much more evident when wet. Of the four central spines, three point upwards, the other angles down, and is somewhat curved. The remaining spines, all radial, are loosely pressed against the stem.
Flowers form in spring, in a cluster at the tip of the stem. Tepals are yellowish-white, with pink or dull green midstripes. Stamens are yellow and the stigma lobes are yellowish or green.
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