Ferocactus glaucescens (A. P. de Candolle) Britton & Rose 1922 Echinocactus glaucescens A. P. de Candolle 1829 Bisnaga glaucescens (A. P. de Candolle) Orcutt 1926 Echinocactus pfeifferi Zuccarini 1837 Ferocactus pfeifferi (Zuccarini) Backeberg 1961 Blue barrel
Ferocactus glaucescens means roughly “fierce bluish cactus”—a pretty good description, since the body is bluish green (“glaucous”) and the spines are not to be trifled with. These cacti are found only in Hidalgo, Mexico. Identification: Plants are distinctly bluish in color, ball-shaped, usually with flattened tops, found singly or in multiply branched groups. They are up to 18" (45 cm) high and 20" (50 cm) around, with 12-17 ribs. (The Arizona-Sonara Desert Museum lists sizes up to 12' (3.7 m), but I couldn’t confirm that elsewhere and it may be a misprint.) Spines are in groups of 6-7, to 1¼" (3.5 cm) long. Yellow, bell-shaped flowers are up to 1¾" (4.5 cm) long. Whitish or yellowish fruits are up to ⅞" (2.5 cm) long. References:
Anderson, Edward F., The Cactus Family, Timber Press, 2001, p. 330 Online References:
Ferocactus glaucescens on Cactus Art: the World of Cacti & Succulents Ferocactus glaucescens on Desert-tropicals.com Ferocactus glaucescens on CactiGuide.com Ferocactus glaucescens at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Sonoran Desert Digital Library Ferocactus glaucescens at the South Coast Botanic Garden Ferocactus glaucescens description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020. © FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved. |
4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland Range: Zones 9b-11:
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