Echinocereus longisetus

Echinocereus longisetus is a species of Echinocereus found in Mexico.

Description
Echinocereus longisetus branches from the base, forming large clusters up to 1 meter in diameter. The upright cylindrical stems are 30 to 50 cm long and 5 to 8 cm in diameter, with 11 to 24 low, tuberculated ribs. The plant has four to nine central spines that are straight or curly, whitish to brownish, and 1 to 10 cm long. It also has 15 to 20 white marginal spines, each 1 to 2 cm long.

The funnel-shaped flowers are slightly pinkish-purple and appear near the base of the stems, not at the tips. They are 5 to 7 cm long and 6 to 7 cm in diameter.

Subspecies
There are two recognized subspecies:

Distribution
Echinocereus longisetus is found in the Mexican states of Coahuila and Nuevo León.

Taxonomy
Originally described as Cereus longisetus by George Engelmann in 1856, the specific epithet "longisetus" comes from the Latin words "longus" (long) and "-setus" (bristly), referring to its long, bristle-like spines. Charles Lemaire reclassified it into the genus Echinocereus in 1868.