Publication: Cact. Suc. Mex. 19: 47. 1974
Description
Echinocereus conglomeratus is a cespitose erect, cactus, with long white pellucid spines, and a species resembling Echinocereus stramineus, with coarser straw-like spines. These two species are erect and grow in groups.
Taxonomic notes: Echinocereus conglomeratus was reduced by Bravo-Hollis and Sanchez-Mejorada (1991a) as a variety of E. stramineus. Taylor (1985), Blum et al. (1998), and Zimmerman et al. have dismissed E. conglorneratus as perhaps not worthy of even varietal status. It is at most a race of Echinocereus stramineus. The key difference by which the two were separated, namely the smaller, more open flowers, smaller fruit, the higher rib number and a more southern separated distribution area, seems entirely spurious, but plants from Mexico do differ in various respects from that from the southern USA.
Stems: Joints simple, upright, columnar, slightly tapered at the apex, base often half covered in the ground, 10 to 30 cm long and 5 cm in diamete, light green.
Ribs: 11 to 13, slightly undulate, above very narrow, to 1 cm high, clearly indented.
Areoles: Small, circular 8 to 15 mm apart about 2 mm in diameter, at first snow-white felted, but quickly naked.
Spines: Glassy white to brownish, needle-like, not completely hiding the stem.
Radial spines: About 9-10 sharp, the lower pair longest,1.5-2.5 cm long, spreading, becoming yellow after the disappearance of wool felt at the base.
Central spines: 1-4 , elongated, often 4-7 cm long, very flexible, almost glassy, otherwise similar to the radial.
Flowers: 6 to 7 cm long, broad and open, purplish. Perianth segments broad, 2 cm long; spines on ovary and flower long, white, more or less curved.
Fruit: Globular, 3 cm in diameter, somewhat acid, edible.
Seeds: Numerous.
Origin and Habitat
Mountains in the states of Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Zacatecas,
Type locality: Rinconada, near Monterey, Mexico.
Cultivation and Propagation
Rot easily it is sensitive to overwatering (rot prone) needs a very good drainage to avoid rotting, Keep drier and cool in winter. Need full sun. Very cold resistant above approx -12C or less for short periods of time.
Uses: The Indians have known for a very long time that the Strawberry Cactus or Pitaya (Echinocereus stramineus) is good to eat, and modern science employs the fruit in the treatment of diabetes.
Propagation: Cutting as it produces abundant suckers. Also can be grown from seeds.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
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N. L. Britton, J. N. Rose: “The Cactaceae. Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family.” Volume II, The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington 1920
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José Arturo de Nova Vázquez, Pedro Castillo-Lara, Wolfgang Blum “new subspecies of Echinocereus occidentalis in Coahuila” Xerophilia – Special Issue, No. 7.1 - October 2015 www.xerophilia.ro
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David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. “The New Cactus Lexicon” dh books, 2006
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Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
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Del Weniger “Cacti of the Southwest: Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana” University of Texas Press, 1969
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Paul Carpenter Standley “Trees and Shrubs of Mexico …” U.S. Government Printing Office, 1920
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Bravo-Hollis, Sanchez-Mejorada “Las Cactaceas de Mexico” volume 2 , D.F. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico 1991
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Nigel P. Taylor “The Genus Echinocereus” Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1985
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W. Blum, M. Lange, W. Rischer, J. Rutow “Echinocereus” Preprint, 1998
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A. Michael Powell, James F. Weedin “Cacti of the Trans-Pecos & Adjacent Areas” Texas Tech University Press, 2004
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William Edwin Safford “Cactaceae of northeastern and central Mexico together with a synopsis of the principal Mexican genera” Govt. print. off., 1909
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Förster C.F. “Handb.Cakteenk.”, ed. 2: 773 - 834. - Verlag von Im.Tr. Wöller, Leipzig 1886