Mammillaria tetrancistra
Encyclopedia
Mammillaria tetrancistra is a species of fishhook cactus
known by the common name common fishhook cactus. It is native to the Mojave
and Sonoran Desert
s of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, where it grows in a variety of desert habitat types.
generally has a single cylindrical stem a few centimeters wide and up to about 25 centimeters tall. Each cluster of spines is made up of 3 or 4 dark, hooked central spines and many straight, white radial spines, the longest reaching 2.5 centimeters in length. The flower is 2 to 4 centimeters wide and pink to lavender in color. The fruit is red, shiny, and fleshy and contains many black seeds coated in corky aril
s.
Fishhook cactus
Fishhook cactus is a common name for any hook-spined species of the genus Mammillaria. They are small cacti, usually growing up to 6-7 inches high, and are shaped similar to a barrel cactus...
known by the common name common fishhook cactus. It is native to the Mojave
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
and Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
s of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, where it grows in a variety of desert habitat types.
Description
This cactusCactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
generally has a single cylindrical stem a few centimeters wide and up to about 25 centimeters tall. Each cluster of spines is made up of 3 or 4 dark, hooked central spines and many straight, white radial spines, the longest reaching 2.5 centimeters in length. The flower is 2 to 4 centimeters wide and pink to lavender in color. The fruit is red, shiny, and fleshy and contains many black seeds coated in corky aril
Aril
An aril is any specialized outgrowth from the funiculus that covers or is attached to the seed. It is sometimes applied to any appendage or thickening of the seed coat in flowering plants, such as the edible parts of the mangosteen and pomegranate fruit, the mace of the nutmeg seed, or the...
s.