Ferocactus haematacanthus

Ferocactus haematacanthus is a species of Ferocactus from Mexico.

Description
Ferocactus haematacanthus is a solitary cactus with initially bluish-green, later green stems, growing up to 30-120 cm tall and 25-36 cm in diameter. The stems have 13-17 ribs and bear reddish thorns. Adult plants have merged areoles. The red spines consist of four central spines measuring 4 to 8 cm long and six to seven marginal spines measuring 2.5 to 3.5 cm long. The cactus produces funnel-shaped, purple-pink to rose-purple flowers measuring 6-7 cm in length and diameter, followed by egg-shaped, deep purple fruits that are 2-3.5 cm long.

Distribution
This species is native to the Mexican states of Puebla and Veracruz, at elevations above 2200 meters.

Taxonomy
The cactus was first described as Echinocactus electracanthus var. haematacanthus in 1850 by Joseph zu Salm-Reifferscheidt-Dyck. Its specific epithet "haematacanthus" comes from the Greek words for "blood" and "thorn," referring to its dark red thorns. In 1936, Curt Backeberg and Frederik Marcus Knuth reclassified it into the genus Ferocactus.