The beautiful, bold red of the Kingcup Cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) caught my eye from the road. It is also called red-flowered hedgehog cactus, claretcup cactus, strawberry cactus, Mojave mound cactus, and three spine hedgehog cactus. There are about one hundred species in the genus Echinocereus.
This cactus can withstand cold temperatures and is pollinated by hummingbirds. It is generally found up to 6,500 feet elevation.
4 comments:
Could you tell us about the flower parts? I'm curious about the green bit sticking out of the center. I tried your link "to learn more", but it was broken. Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
I don't know a lot about these flowers. The green parts are the stigma, part of the pistil (female parts), while the pink fuzzy looking things are anthers, part of the stamens (male parts).
The Forest Service database appears to be down, it has a lot of info about this cactus, so I changed the link to Southwest Colorado Wildflowers.
I have a Mojave Mound Cactus photo at my desk (shot in Joshua Tree N.P.) and loved seeing your cactus. The striking difference is the pollen color -- that pink is really cool. My cactus has white pollen -- not only more boring but harder to photograph well.
Doh- probably should have been able to figure that out ;). The coloration is just so striking!
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