Search / Plant Profile / Echinomastus erectocentrus var. erectocentrus

Plant Profile

Red-spine Butterfly Cactus (Echinomastus erectocentrus var. erectocentrus)

An herbarium specimen of this taxon. Photo Credit:

Global Rank: T3 - Vulnerable
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Cactaceae
State: AZ
Nature Serve ID: 154572
Lifeform: Shrub
Categories of Interest: Cacti/Succulents
Date Inducted in National Collection: 02/10/1987

Description:

Echinomastus erectrocentrus var. erectrocentrus is a small cactus that can grow up to 6 inches in height. Plants have central spines that point upward. Variety erectrocentrus and var. acunensis are virtually indistinguishable, and may not be taxonomically distinct, according to Dr. Don Pinkava of Arizona State University (pers. comm. 1991). Characters based on size and flower color were formerly used to separate the two taxa, but these may not be accurate indicators. Geographic range is now used to separate the two, with var. erectrocentrus occurring in the general Tucson area east and south to the Mexican border, and var. acunensis in northern Sonora, Organpipe National Monument, northward and east to the Florence area. Variety erectrocentrus grows on alluvial fans and hills, usually limestone at elevations of 1300-2000 ft.

Where is Red-spine Butterfly Cactus (Echinomastus erectocentrus var. erectocentrus) located in the wild?

Habitat:

E. erectrocentrus var. erectrocentrus grows on alluvial fans and hills, usually limestone at elevations of 1300-2000 ft (Benson 1982).

Distribution:

E. erectrocentrus var. erectrocentrus occurs from south-central to southeastern Arizona (Sonoran Desert Educational Center 2002).

States & Provinces:

Red-spine Butterfly Cactus can be found in Arizona

Which CPC Partners conserve Red-spine Butterfly Cactus (Echinomastus erectocentrus var. erectocentrus)?

Desert Botanical Garden

Not Sponsored

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

Kathleen C. Rice

01/01/2010

Primary threats are habitat degradation due to urbanization, and collection.

Kathleen C. Rice

01/01/2010

Population status is unknown.

Kathleen C. Rice

01/01/2010

None known.

Kathleen C. Rice

01/01/2010

None known.

Kathleen C. Rice

01/01/2010

Studying aspects of this species general biology and ecology would be useful. Population size and sites need to be determined.