Echinocereus russanthus

Echinocereus russanthus is a species of cactus native to Texas and Mexico.

Description
Echinocereus russanthus typically grows solitary or branches from the base. Its upright, cylindrical stems are 7.5 to 25 cm long and 5 to 7.5 cm in diameter, covered by thorns. The plant has 10 to 18 ribs that are distinctly tuberculated. It features 7 to 12 spreading central spines that are red, cream, or brownish, up to 3 cm long, and 30 to 45 reddish to brownish radial spines, up to 1.8 cm long.

The short, funnel-shaped flowers are light to bright red and often appear in clumps on the sides of the shoots, sometimes not fully opening. The flowers are 2.5 to 3 cm long and wide. The green, spherical fruits are heavily thorny.

Distribution
Echinocereus russanthus is native to the Big Bend region of southern Texas, USA, and the neighboring Mexican state of Chihuahua.

Taxonomy
First described by Del Weniger in 1969, the specific epithet "russanthus" comes from the Latin "russus" (reddish) and the Greek "anthos" (flower), referring to the flower's color.