Echinocereus scheeri

Echinocereus scheeri is a species of hedgehog cactus in the family Cactaceae, native to northern Mexico. With its dramatic offsets, it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Description
Echinocereus scheeri usually grows with numerous shoots sprouting from its base and sometimes forms upright but usually splayed or creeping groups. The cylindrical shoots are tapered towards their tip. They are 10 to 70 cm long and have a diameter of 1.5 to 4 cm. There are four to ten clearly blunt ribs, which are straight and occasionally tuberous on their sides. The up to four white to brownish central spines, which can also be missing, are 0.1 to 2 cm long. The usually 6 to 13 white to light brown marginal spines are 1 to 7 mm long.

The tubular-funnel-shaped flowers are pink to orange to scarlet. They appear along the sides of the shoots from sharply pointed buds, are 6 to 12 cm long and reach 4 to 6 cm in diameter. The short egg-shaped fruits are bright green and contain white pulp. They tear open lengthwise and are covered with slightly sloping thorns.

Subspecies
The following subspecies are currently accepted:

Distribution
Echinocereus scheeri is distributed in the Mexican states of Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua and Durango.

Taxonomy
The first description as Cereus scheeri by Joseph zu Salm-Reifferscheidt-Dyck was published in 1850. The specific epithet scheeri honors the German trader and plant lover Frederick Scheer. Frederick Scheer placed the species in the genus Echinocereus in 1856