Scientific name:
Escobaria dasyacantha, coryphantha dasyacantha
Common name:
Big Bend foxtail cactus, desert beehive cactus
Range:
West Texas; along the Rio Grande and a few places further north
Form:
Globes or short cylinders - up to 4 inches tall, usually solitary, sometimes in small clusters
Habitat:
Grassland, oak/juniper woodland, flats and slopes; varied soil types
Flowers:
Pink or brownish-yellow, at the top of the stem, appearing between March and July. Stigma lobes are green or yellow
Distribution map for escobaria dasyacantha
Escobaria dasyacantha, or coryphantha dasyacantha, an uncommon plant, is one of many cactus species that in the US occurs only in the Big Bend area, mostly close to the Rio Grande, plus a few isolated areas elsewhere. It is found in a variety of habitats, between elevations of 2,500 to 5,500 feet.
The green stems are mostly hidden by the dense spines, of which there are between 21 and 31 thin white radials per areole, held close to the stem, and from 4 to 9 radial or subradial spines, all similar in size, at varying angles. Radial spines are white, with distinct black to reddish-brown tips, and are up to 0.6 inches long.
Flowers occur right at the tip of the stem; the tepals are salmon pink or yellow-brown, with darker midstripes. Outer tepals are fringed. Stamens have white filaments and bright yellow anthers; stigmas are green to yellow.
The green stems are mostly hidden by the dense spines, of which there are between 21 and 31 thin white radials per areole, held close to the stem, and from 4 to 9 radial or subradial spines, all similar in size, at varying angles. Radial spines are white, with distinct black to reddish-brown tips, and are up to 0.6 inches long.
Flowers occur right at the tip of the stem; the tepals are salmon pink or yellow-brown, with darker midstripes. Outer tepals are fringed. Stamens have white filaments and bright yellow anthers; stigmas are green to yellow.
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