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Accepted Scientific Name: Echinocereus viridiflorus Engelm. in Wisliz.
Mem. Tour N. Mexico [Wislizenus] 91. 1848 Wisliz., Wisliz., Wisliz.
SB213 (Collector Steven Brack) Taos County, New Mexico, USA. This plant has greenish lemon scented flowers.
Origin and Habitat: Echinocereus viridiflorusSN|11071]]SN|11071]] occurs in Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming (United States). Scientific literature also reports it from the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Coahuila, and Colorado in the United States. It occurs farther north than any other member of the genus, into the cooler regions of the Great Plains grassland, as far as South Dakota and to the Mountainous areas of New Mexico and central Colorado.
Altitude range: It grows at elevations of 900 to 2,700 metres above sea level.
Habitat and Ecology: Echinocereus viridiflorusSN|11071]]SN|11071]] grows in grasslands, mountain parklands and pinyon and juniper woodland in gravelly soils of foothills, plains, and washes in grassland or along edges of woodlands. It is wide-ranging, abundant, and there are no major threats. Furthermore, it occurs in many protected areas. Hence, it is listed as Least Concern. The species is used as an ornamental and it is cultivated for that purpose.
Synonyms:
- Echinocereus viridiflorus Engelm. in Wisliz.
- Cereus viridiflorus (Engelm.) Engelm.
Echinocereus viridiflorus Engelm. in Wisliz.
Mem. Tour N. Mexico [Wislizenus] 91. 1848
Synonymy: 19
- Echinocereus viridiflorus Engelm. in Wisliz.
- Cereus viridiflorus (Engelm.) Engelm.
- Echinocereus labouretii Förster ex Rümpler
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. centrispinus Vernon Bailey
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. elongatus* hort. ex Backeb.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. faciliflorus Hildm. ex Schelle
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. intermedius Backeb.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. longispinus Schelle
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. major
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. minor Engelm. ex D.Weniger
- Cereus viridiflorus var. minor Engelm.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. montanus hort.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. robustior Kuenzler
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. ruberrimus Frič
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. rubrus Frič
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. sanguineus Regel ex Schelle
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. standleyi (Britton & Rose) Orcutt ex D.Weniger
- Echinocereus standleyi Britton & Rose
- Echinocereus viridiflorus f. standleyi (Britton & Rose) D.Parker
Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. chloranthus (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor
Cactaceae Consensus Init. 3: 10. 1997
Synonymy: 10
- Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. chloranthus (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor
- Cereus chloranthus Engelm.
- Echinocereus chloranthus (Engelm.) Engelm. ex Rümpler in Förster
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. chloranthus (Engelm.) Backeb.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus f. chloranthus Krainz
- Echinocereus milleri W.Blum, Kuenzler & Oldach
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. canus A.M.Powell & Weedin
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. neocapillus (D.Weniger) A.D.Zimmerman
- Echinocereus chloranthus var. neocapillus D.Weniger
- Echinocereus neocapillus (D.Weniger) W.Blum & Mich.Lange in W.Blum et al.
Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. correllii (L.D.Benson) W.Blum & Mich.Lange in W.Blum et al.
Echinocereus Monogr. (preprint) [10] (1998)
Synonymy: 5
- Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. correllii (L.D.Benson) W.Blum & Mich.Lange in W.Blum et al.
- Echinocereus chloranthus subs. cylindricus f. corellii (L.D.Benson)
- Echinocereus correllii Kuenzler
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. correllii L.D.Benson
- Echinocereus carmenensis W.Blum, Mich.Lange & E.Scherer in W.Blum et al.
Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. cylindricus (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor
Cactaceae Consensus Init. 3: 10. 1997
Synonymy: 8
- Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. cylindricus (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor
- Cereus viridiflorus var. cylindricus Engelm.
- Cereus viridiflorus var. tubulosus J.M.Coult.
- Echinocereus chloranthus subs. cylindricus (Engelm.) W.Blum & Mich.Lange in W.Blum et al.
- Echinocereus chloranthus var. cylindricus (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor
- Echinocereus strausianus Haage jr. in Quehl
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. cylindricus (Engelm.) Rümpler
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. tubulosus (J.M.Coult.) A.Heller
Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. davisii (Houghton) N.P.Taylor
Cactaceae Consensus Init. 3: 10. 1997
Synonymy: 4
- Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. davisii (Houghton) N.P.Taylor
- Echinocereus davisii Houghton
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. davisii (Houghton) W.T.Marshall
- Echinocereus viridiflorus f. davisii (Houghton) Krainz
Echinocereus viridiflorus var. rhyolithensis W. Blume & Mich.Lange
Synonymy: 4
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. rhyolithensis W. Blume & Mich.Lange
- Echinocereus chloranthus subs. rhyolithensis W.Blum & Mich.Lange in W.Blum et al.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus cowperii n.n.
ENGLISH: Nylon Hedgehog Cactus, Varied Hedgehog, Correl's Green Pitaya, Golden Spine Hedgehog, Green Flowered Pitaya, Davis's Green Pitaya, Green Flowered Torch Cactus, Green Hedge Hog, Varied Hedgehog Cactus, Green-flower Hedgehog Cactus, Green Pitaya
Description: E. viridiflorus is a compless that comprises a large number of infraspecific taxa, differing in various combinations of flower color, spine color, number and thickness of central spines, and other characters, including floral scent. Wherever such taxa are sympatric they intergrade; all are freely interfertile in the greenhouse.
There are numerous varieties and subspecies. The following subspecies are currently recognized: the nominate form, subsp. chloranthus (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor, subsp. correllii (L.D.Benson) W.Blum & Mich.Lange, subsp. cylindricus (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor, and subsp. davisii (Houghton) N.P.Taylor.
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Echinocereus viridiflorus/russanthus complex
Echinocereus carmenensis W.Blum, Mich.Lange & E.Scherer in W.Blum et al.: has stocky body covered by tight yellowish pectinate spines and peculiar chocolate-scented flowers. Distribution: La Cuesta, passo Sierra del Carmem, Coahuila, Mexico.- Echinocereus milleri W.Blum, Kuenzler & Oldach: has the "hairy" seedlings of Echinocereus viridiflorus var. neocapillus, but has fewer spines it is also similar to the yellow spined Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. Correllii (which it obviously is not).
- Echinocereus russanthus D.Weniger: has spheric to cylindrical stems, 8-30 tall and 4-8 cm Ø; ribs 10-20. Spines: Interlocking, bristly, typically reddish to brown, radiating in all directions. Distribution: Chihuahua (Mexico) and N-W Texas (USA).
- Echinocereus russanthus f. cristata hort.: crested form.
- Echinocereus russanthus subs. fiehnii (Trocha) W.Blum & Mich.Lange: Distribution: endemic to the Sierra del Nido, central Chihuahua, Mexico.
- Echinocereus russanthus subs. weedinii Leuck ex W.Blum & Mich.Lange in W.Blum et al.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus Engelm. in Wisliz.: ssp. viridiflorus (Typical form) With small stems and relatively pure yellow flowers, extends from central New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle to South Dakota.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. canus A.M.Powell & Weedin: has hairy juvenile forms. Distribution: Solitario, Sandstone ridge above Righthand Shutup, Presidio Co., Texas, USA.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. chloranthus (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor: has 10-18 ribs, 5 or more central spines, giving the plants a bristly appearance, it is often considered a separate species (Echinocereus chloranthus). Distribution: W. Texas, S.E. New Mexico, and N. Mexico.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. correllii (L.D.Benson) W.Blum & Mich.Lange in W.Blum et al.: It is a poorly defined, yellow-spined population near Marathon, Texas.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus cowperii n.n.: same as: Echinocereus viridiflorus var. rhyolithensis.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. cylindricus (Engelm.) N.P.Taylor: The common morphotype grows at middle altitudes in Texas and southeastern New Mexico, it has 0-2(-3) central spines.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. davisii (Houghton) N.P.Taylor: In the broad sense Echinocereus viridiflorus may prove paraphyletic with respect to Echinocereus davisii, but they are phenologically isolated, with Echinocereus davisii flowering earlier and thus appearing reproductively isolated in the wild.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus subs. davisii cv. brevispinus hort.: has very short spines, usually radial, pectinated, stout, fang like, white whit a dark contrasting tip 2-4 mm long. Spine clusters looks like small starfishes.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. montanus hort.: has significantly depressed stems solitary or in low clusters (mostly less than 2 cm tall). Distribution: Southwestern USA (Monarch Pass, Colorado?)
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. neocapillus (D.Weniger) A.D.Zimmerman: Remarkable for its softly hairy, not sharply spiny, seedlings.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. rhyolithensis W. Blume & Mich.Lange: (Echinocereus russantus forma) Bristly red-spined plants from New Mexico.
- Echinocereus viridiflorus var. robustior Kuenzler: It is a more robust form but not sufficiently differentiated and considered merely a local variant of Echinocereus viridiflorus var viridiflorus. Distribution New Mexico.
Notes: Echinocereus viridiflorusSN|11085]]SN|11071]] in the broad sense may prove paraphyletic with respect to Echinocereus davisiiSN|11071]]SN|11085]], but they are phenologically isolated, with E. davisii flowering earlier and thus appearing reproductively isolated in the wild.
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) David Hunt, Nigel Taylor “The New Cactus Lexicon” DH Books, 2006
2) Heil, K., Terry, M. & Corral-Díaz, R. 2013. Echinocereus viridiflorus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 28 November 2014.
3) Edward F. Anderson “The Cactus Family” Timber Press, 2001
4) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass” Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
Cereus viridiflorus (Echinocereus viridiflorus) Photo by: Julio C. García
Echinocereus viridiflorus SB213 Taos County, New Mexico, USA. (Echinocereus viridiflorus) Photo by: Peiffer Clement
DJF 1673 (Collector: David J. Ferguson) Black Mesa, Oklahoma, USA (Echinocereus viridiflorus) Photo by: Cactus Art
Cereus viridiflorus (Echinocereus viridiflorus) Photo by: Julio C. García
- Flowers have a strong lemon scent. (Echinocereus viridiflorus) Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
Cereus viridiflorus (Echinocereus viridiflorus) Photo by: Cactus Art
Cereus viridiflorus (Echinocereus viridiflorus) Photo by: Cactus Art
DJF713.1 Larimer Co, CO, USA (Echinocereus viridiflorus) Photo by: Cactus Art
Cultivation and Propagation: In culture E. viridiflorus is without problems and regularly shows its small green flowers if we provide an adequate winter rest period. It is sensitive to overwatering (rot prone) needs good drainage, Keep drier and cool in winter. Need full sun; Very cold resistant hardy to -20° C or less for short periods of time.
Propagation: Seeds or cutting (if available)
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