Echinomastus
erectocentrus var. erectocentrus
Needle-Spined
Pineapple Cactus
This
page updated 3/28/04.
Found
in light-colored gravel (felsic volcanics, granite, or limestone)
on
gentle south or east slopes in upland desert or semi-desert grassland.
Central
spines are reddish or purple and ascend vertically from narrow tubercles.
Two
varieties have been described, but they may not be valid since they are
nearly identical
and
their ranges overlap in Sonora, Mexico. Arizona populations are disjunct.
E.
e. var. erectocentrus (Needle-spined Pineapple Cactus):
south and east of Tucson.
E.
e. var. acunensis (Acuna Cactus):
Organ Pipe Cactus National Park and south.
Federal
Threatened and Endangered Species status:
E.
e. var. acunensis: candidate for listing as endangered.
E.
e. var. erectocentrus: USFS Sensitive Species.
THREATS:
Development is the primary threat, especially on State land southeast of
Tucson,
where
several healthy high-density populations have been bulldozed since 2003.
Other
threats include off-road vehicle use, grazing, and possibly collection.
Arizona
Rare Cactus Photos
