Publication: Bradleya 5: 59. 1987
Description
Thelocactus setispinus, best known as Hamatocactus setispinus is a well known cactus species that produce a succession of large silky flowers in summer and autumn. It is quite variable and has had at least 30 scientific synonyms, none of which recognized. The stem sizes vary from one population to another and the extreme forms are certainly very different.. At one time, two separate varieties based on size were recognized. The larger stem size is sometimes confused with Ferocactus hamatacanthus var. sinuatus, which has all-yellow flowers. Thelocactus setispinus flowers have red centers.
Habit: Solitary, rarely sprouting near base to produce 2-3 branches, but sometimes forming large clusters, often branching or budding above.
Roots: Long fibrous roots.
Stems: 7-15(-30) cm high, 5-9 cm in diameter, globose to elongate globose, when young, growing cylindroid later, yellow-green to dull blue-green.
Ribs: 12-15, more or less oblique or twisted, thin, high, undulate on the margin, not tuberculate 1-2 mm wide, 14-18 mm high.
Areoles: 5-9 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, 20 mm apart, with extrafloral nectaries.
Radial spines: 9 to 17, slender, often 4 cm long, some white, others brownish, radiating, straight, 9-24 mm long.
Central spines: 1 to 3, longer than radials of which one, yellowish white to red, erect, hooked, 16-27 mm long.
Flower: Radial, 4-5(-7) cm long, 3-4cm in diameter, yellow, with a deep red centrer. Pericarpels scaly. Tube will developed. Inner perianth-segments oblong, acute, widely spreading. Stygma lobes pale yellow to white.
Blooming season: Summer to Autumn (Fall).
Fruit: Round, to ovoid, red with white pulp, 8-15 mm long, 10-14 mm in diameter, scaly, nearly naked, fleshy at maturity, indehiscent.
Seeds: 1,2 to 1,7 mm long, 0,5-0,8 mm in diameter, finely tuberculate.
Origin and Habitat
Distribution: USA, Southern Texas ( Cameron, Hidalgo, and Starr counties) and northern Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas ).
Type locality: Thickets along the Colorado River, Texas.
Altitude: Sea level to 550 metres.
Habitat: It is the northernmost species of the genus, occurring in thorn shrub vegetation and coastal lowlands under Mesquite scrubs, along with Astrophytum asterias, Mammillaria heyderi, Echinocereus stramineus, Wilcoxia tamaulipensis and Homalocephala texensis.
Cultivation and Propagation
This species is easy and well worth growing. Require little care once they have reached a nice flowering size. Thelocactus setispinus is suited for any rich, well drained soil in full sun throughout the year (But do better with some light shade in summer).
Pot culture: grow best in a well-drained container filled with a porous cactus soil mixture that doesn’t contain too much humus. To insure robust plants water and fertilize during the aestival growth cycle, this plant need plenty of water (indicatively to about once a week) But needs to be avoided wetting the bodies of these plants while they are in sunlight. A wet cactus in the sun light can cause sun burning which can lead to scars or even fungal infections and death. Care must be taken to prevent sooty mould forming on the sugary secretions from near the areoles.
Frost Tolerance: In winter keep completely dry at 5°C this usually aids in maintaining a healthier plant, but it is hardy as less as -12 to -7°C depending on the origin. (Temperature Zone: USDA 9-11)
Propagation: Seeds or cutting. Seeds are the typical way of reproducing. These cacti will easily grow from seeds and some from cuttings. Seeds can be sown in the spring or summer in well-drained pots of soil for cacti and sow the seeds thinly on top. Cover them with a bit of fine quartz grit. Moisten and lay a piece of glass across the top. The pots should be set in a warm greenhouse until they start to sprout after which the glass should be progressively removed so they can receive full light and air. It isn’t good to keep the glass over the seedlings. The seedlings well developed can be planted separately in small pots.
Cuttings made from pieces of the stem of any size can be detached and laid aside for a few days to allow a protective “skin” to form over the cut. They can then be planted in pots. Place them in a spot where they’ll receive sun and do not water until the soil becomes fairly dry. After a while the soil can be moistened regularly but never kept constantly saturated.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
-
Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
-
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
-
David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. “The New Cactus Lexicon” dh books, 2006
-
Brian Loflin, Shirley Loflin “Texas Cacti: A Field Guide” Texas A&M University Press, 26/ott/2009
-
Albert Michael Powell, James F. Weedin “Cacti of the Trans-Pecos and Adjacent Areas” Texas Tech University Press, 2004
-
Del Weniger “Cacti of the Southwest: Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana” University of Texas Press, 1969
-
“Rare Plants of Texas: A Field Guide” Texas A&M University Press, 2007
-
Nathaniel Lord Britton, Joseph Nelson Rose “Cactaceae: Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family” Volume 3, 1922
-
Christopher Brickell “RHS Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers” Dorling Kindersley Ltd, 01/set/2010
-
Campbell Loughmiller “Texas Wildflowers” University of Texas Press, 2006
-
Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton: “Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names.” Birkhäuser 2004
-
Pierre C. Fischer “70 Common Cacti of the Southwest” Western National Parks Association, 1989
-
Alfred Richardson “Plants of Deep South Texas: A Field Guide to the Woody and Flowering Species” Texas A&M University Press, 2010
-
Hiroshi Hirao “Colour encyclopaedia of cacti” Japan 1979 (Japanese language and script)
-
Willy Cullmann, Erich Götz (Dozent Dr.), Gerhard Gröner “The encyclopedia of cacti” Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1986
-
Hans Hecht “BLV-Handbuch der Kakteen” BLV-Verlagsgesellschaft, 1982
-
E Haustein “Der Kosmos Kakteenfuehrer (the Kosmos Cactus Guide)” Balogh Scientific Books 01 December 1998
-
Alwin Berger: “Kakteen: Anleitung zur Kultur und Kenntnis der wichtigsten eingeführten Arten.” Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1929
-
Ulises Guzmán, Salvador Arias, Patricia Dávila: “Catálogo de cactáceas mexicanas.” Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexiko-Stadt 2003
-
Karl Schumann: “Gesamtbeschreibung der Kakteen (Monographia cactacearum).” J. Neumann, Neudamm 1899
-
George Engelmann, Asa Gray: “Plantae Lindheimerianae : an enumeration of F. Lindheimer’s collection of Texan plants, with remarks and descriptions of new species, etc.“ 1845
From llifle page Echinocactus hamatus
Description
“Thelocactus setispinus var. hamatus”, a.k.a. Hamatocactus setispinus var. hamatus, is one of the local or morphological form of “Thelocactus setispinus” distinguished from the type species for having always a longer hooked central spines. The differences with other “Thelocactus setispinus” are in reality very minimal and they grows at the same locality and under the same condition, so nowadays most botanist agree on the fact that both should all be included in the “Thelocactus setispinus”, nevertheless non-botanists prefer to have a name for all their plants if they distinct enough to warrant one.
Habit: It is a typically solitary cactus that sometime will offsets from it’s base. This species produces a lot of fragrant yellow, orange-eyed flowers at the top of the stem. An attractive blooming machine.
Stem: Globular to cylindrical, yellow-green to dark bluish green of flabby texture like Echinocereus, up to 15 cm tall, 10 cm in diameter; distinctly ribbed.
Ribs: About 13 high and 1-2 mm wide, very evident, thin, wavy on the margin, straight or more or less spiralled.
Roots: Long fibrous.
Areoles: roundish, 5-8(-14) mm long, 2-7 mm wide, 15 mm apart, with short wool and finally naked: Areoles typically bear extrafloral nectaries.
Spines: Both radials and centrals, white or yellowish and brown radials 12 to 16 (10-30 mm long), central 1 to 3 one of them hooked, longer than the radials, usually more than 40 mm long. Tubercles absent.
Flower: Silky yellow with orange to darker red throat , 3 - 7 cm across, 3,8 - 5,2(7) cm long. Inner perianth segments oblong, acute, widely spreading. Flowers-bud pointed, covered with imbricated naked scales (whithout wool or bristles in the axil). Flower-tube narrow, funnelform.
Fruits: Red and fleshy, nearly naked, globular to ovate, 8-11 mm long, that dry and fracture basally at full maturity.
Seeds: 1,3-1,7 mm long and 0,5 -0,8 mm diameter, black tuberculate, hilum large basal, circular.
Phenology: Summer grower.
Blooming season: It flowers very well, even when quite young, producing lots flowers in succession all Summer.
Origin and Habitat
USA (Southern-Texas) and Northern Mexico (Taumaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila)
Habitat: It is often found growing under Mesquite scrubs on coastal lowlands.
Altitude: 0-550 meters above sea level.
Cultivation and Propagation
This species is easy and well worth growing, wonderful when grown in containers as a patio plant in colder climates. Require little care once they have reached a nice flowering size H. setispinus is suited for any rich, well drained soil in full sun throughout the year (But do better with some light shade in summer). Pot culture: grow best in a well-drained container filled with a porous cactus soil mixture that doesn’t contain too much humus. To insure robust plants water and fertilize during the aestival growth cycle, this plant need plenty of water (indicatively to about once a week) But needs to be avoided wetting the bodies of these plants while they are in sunlight. A wet cactus in the sun light can cause sun burning which can lead to scars or even fungal infections and death. Care must be taken to prevent sooty mould forming on the sugary secretions from near the areoles.
Frost Tolerance: In winter keep completely dry at 5°C this usually aids in maintaining a healthier plant, but it is hardy as less as -12 to -7°C depending on the origin. (Temperature Zone: USDA 9-11)
Propagation: Seeds or cutting. Seeds are the typical way of reproducing. These cacti will easily grow from seeds and some from cuttings. Seeds can be sown in the spring or summer in well-drained pots of cactus soil; sow the seeds thinly on top. Cover them with a bit of fine quartz grit. Moisten and lay a piece of glass across the top. The pots should be set in a warm greenhouse until they start to sprout, after which the glass should be progressively removed so they can receive full light and air. It isn’t good to keep the glass over the seedlings. Well-developed seedlings can be planted separately in small pots.
Cuttings made from pieces of the stem of any size can be detached and laid aside for a few days, to allow a protective “skin” to form over the cut. They can then be planted in pots. Place them in a spot where they’ll receive sun, and do not water until the soil becomes fairly dry. After a while the soil should be moistened regularly, but never kept constantly saturated.
Source: Echinocactus hamatus, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
From llifle page Echinocactus setispinus var. setaceus
Description
“Thelocactus setispinus var. setaceus ”, a.k.a. Hamatocactus setispinus var. setaceus , is one of the local or morphological form of “Thelocactus setispinus” distinguished from the type species for having somewhat thinner hooked central spines. The differences with other “Thelocactus setispinus” are in reality very minimal and they grows at the same locality and under the same condition, so nowadays most botanist agree on the fact that both should all be included in the “Thelocactus setispinus”, nevertheless non-botanists prefer to have a name for all their plants if they distinct enough to warrant one.
Habit: It is a typically solitary cactus that sometime will offsets from it’s base. This species produces a lot of fragrant yellow, orange-eyed flowers at the top of the stem. An attractive blooming machine.
Stem: Globular to cylindrical, yellow-green to dark bluish green of flabby texture like Echinocereus, up to 15 cm tall, 10 cm in diameter; distinctly ribbed.
Ribs: About 13 high and 1-2 mm wide, very evident, thin, wavy on the margin, straight or more or less spiralled.
Roots: Long fibrous.
Areoles: roundish, 5-8(-14) mm long, 2-7 mm wide, 15 mm apart, with short wool and finally naked: Areoles typically bear extrafloral nectaries.
Spines: Both radials and centrals, white or yellowish and brown radials 12 to 16 (10-30 mm long), central 1 to 3 one of them hooked, longer than the radials, usually more than 40 mm long. Tubercles absent.
Flower: Silky yellow with orange to darker red throat , 3 - 7 cm across, 3,8 - 5,2(7) cm long. Inner perianth segments oblong, acute, widely spreading. Flowers-bud pointed, covered with imbricated naked scales (whithout wool or bristles in the axil). Flower-tube narrow, funnelform.
Fruits: Red and fleshy, nearly naked, globular to ovate, 8-11 mm long, that dry and fracture basally at full maturity.
Seeds: 1,3-1,7 mm long and 0,5 -0,8 mm diameter, black tuberculate, hilum large basal, circular.
Phenology: Summer grower.
Blooming season: It flowers very well, even when quite young, producing lots flowers in succession all Summer.
Origin and Habitat
Rio Grande City, Jim Hogg and Starr County, Southern Texas, USA
Source: Echinocactus setispinus var. setaceus, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
From llifle page Hamatocactus setispinus f. brevispinus
Description
Solitary or slowly offsetting, globular.
Phenology: Summer grower (Dormant in winter).
Stem: Up to 15 cm tall, 10 cm in diameter; around 13 high wavy ribs, dark bluish green. The cultivated variety “brevispinus” differs only for its shorter spines, while all the other trait are identical to standard species.
Areoles: 10-14 mm long, with short wool.
Spines: Yellowish, central 1 to 3 hooked (5-15 mm long); radials 12 to 16 (5-15 mm long)
Flower: Silky yellow with darker red throat , 3-4,2 cm across, 3,8-5,2(7) cm long.
Fruits: Red and fleshy, globular to ovate, 8-11 mm long, that dry and fracture basally at full maturity.
Seeds: 1,3-1,7 mm long and 0,5 -0,8 mm diameter.
Blooming season: Summer, it flowers very well, even when quite young, producing flowers in succession.
Remarks: In the past several forms with different spine and stem size, flowers and fruit colour have been described and some authors gave them a variety name, however they grows at the same locality and under the same condition, so nowadays all them are considered part of a polymorphic species.
Origin and Habitat
Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)
Cultivation and Propagation
This species is easy and well worth growing. Require little care once they have reached a nice flowering size. H. setispinus is suited for any rich, well drained soil in full sun throughout the year (But do better with some light shade in summer).
Pot culture: grow best in a well-drained container filled with a porous cactus soil mixture that doesn’t contain too much humus. To insure robust plants water and fertilize during the aestival growth cycle, this plant need plenty of water (indicatively to about once a week) But needs to be avoided wetting the bodies of these plants while they are in sunlight. A wet cactus in the sun light can cause sun burning which can lead to scars or even fungal infections and death. Care must be taken to prevent sooty mould forming on the sugary secretions from near the areoles.
Frost Tolerance: In winter keep completely dry at 5°C this usually aids in maintaining a healthier plant, but it is hardy as less as -12 to -7°C depending on the origin. (Temperature Zone: USDA 9-11)
Propagation: Seeds or cutting. Seeds are the typical way of reproducing. These cacti will easily grow from seeds and some from cuttings. Seeds can be sown in the spring or summer in well-drained pots of soil for cacti and sow the seeds thinly on top. Cover them with a bit of fine quartz grit. Moisten and lay a piece of glass across the top. The pots should be set in a warm greenhouse until they start to sprout after which the glass should be progressively removed so they can receive full light and air. It isn’t good to keep the glass over the seedlings. The seedlings well developed can be planted separately in small pots.
Cuttings made from pieces of the stem of any size can be detached and laid aside for a few days to allow a protective “skin” to form over the cut. They can then be planted in pots. Place them in a spot where they’ll receive sun and do not water until the soil becomes fairly dry. After a while the soil can be moistened regularly but never kept constantly saturated.
Source: Hamatocactus setispinus f. brevispinus, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
From llifle page Hamatocactus setispinus f. cristatum
Description
Thelocactus setispinus, best known as Hamatocactus setispinus is a well known cactus species that produce a succession of large silky flowers in summer and autumn. The stem sizes vary from one population to another and the extreme forms are certainly very different. The crested form Thelocactus setispinus f. cristatus is very rare and sought after by collectors, for its unique features.
Roots: Long fibrous roots.
Stem: Fan shaped, 5-9 cm thik, yellow-green to dull blue-green.
Ribs: Thin, high, undulate on the margin, not tuberculate 1-2 mm wide, 14-18 mm high.
Areoles: 5-9 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, 20 mm apart, with extrafloral nectaries.
Radial spines: 9 to 17, slender, often 4 cm long, some white, others brownish, radiating, straight, 9-24 mm long.
Central spines: 1 to 3, longer than radials of which one, yellowish white to red, erect, hooked, 16-27 mm long.
Flower: Radial, 4-5(-7) cm long, 3-4cm in diameter, yellow, with a deep red centrer. Pericarpels scaly. Tube will developed. Inner perianth-segments oblong, acute, widely spreading. Stygma lobes pale yellow to white.
Blooming season: Summer to Autumn (Fall).
Fruit: Round, to ovoid, red with white pulp, 8-15 mm long, 10-14 mm in diameter, scaly, nearly naked, fleshy at maturity, indehiscent.
Seeds: 1,2 to 1,7 mm long, 0,5-0,8 mm in diameter, finely tuberculate.
Origin and Habitat
Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar). The wild form grows in southern Texas and northern Mexico into Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.
Cultivation and Propagation
Although regarded as a choice and difficult plant is not too difficult in a greenhouse, although grows quite slowly. It is sometime seen as a grafted plant but grows very well on its own roots too.
Soil: Use mineral well permeable mineral soil with little organic matter (peat, humus).
Exposure: They need a good amount of light shade to full sun this help to keep the plants healthy, although slow growth.
Watering: Water sparingly from March till October (weekly during summertime, if the weather is sunny enough) , with a little fertilizer added. Less or no water during cold winter months, or when night temperatures remain below 10° to prevent root loss. It is sensitive to overwatering (rot prone).
Hardiness: Keep perfectly dry in winter at temperatures from 5 to 15 degrees centigrade. (but it is relatively cold resistant and hardy to -7° C, or less for short periods) In the rest period no high atmospheric humidity!! (Temperature Zone: USDA 9-11)
Propagation: Grafting or cuttings. Plants are usually grafted onto column-shaped cacti but proved to be able to produce their own roots if degrafted.
Source: Hamatocactus setispinus f. cristatum, LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of living forms, CC-BY-SA, retrieved 2026-10-25.
Cultivars and forms (4)
Forms (1)
Cultivars (1)
Gallery
