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Flaigg, Norman G.

Escobaria tuberculosa

Escobaria tuberculosa (Engelm.) Britton & Rose

Whitecolumn Foxtail Cactus, Cob Beehive Cactus, White-column Foxtail Cactus, White Star

Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Synonym(s): Coryphantha dasyacantha var. varicolor, Coryphantha strobiliformis, Escobaria dasyacantha var. varicolor, Escobaria strobiliformis, Escobaria tuberculosa var. varicolor, Mammillaria tuberculosa, Mammillaria varicolor

USDA Symbol: ESTU

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Escobaria tuberculosa forms small spherical or cylindrical stems, 2 inches or less in diameter and up to 6 inches in height, which readily branch to create clusters of up to 50 members, all covered in a very dense lattice of short white or grey spines. There are usually between 15 and 40 radials and 5 darker-tipped central spines, longest about 3/4 of an inch; all grow on tubercles, though these are largely or entirely hidden. Pale pink flowers appear at the top of each stem during late spring and summer, between 1 and 2 inches across. The fruits are normally bright red.

Description provided courtesy of The American Southwest.

From the Image Gallery

11 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 6 inches tall.
Fruit: Fruits are normally bright red.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink
Bloom Time: Apr , May

Distribution

USA: AZ , NM , TX
Native Distribution: Extreme southeast Arizona, south New Mexico, far west Texas.
Native Habitat: Grasslands, scrubland, pine-oak woodland; elevations to 6,000 feet.

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-PM-9 Collected 2006-10-03 in Presidio County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

1 collection(s) available in the Wildflower Center Seed Bank

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 15 - The American Southwest (1994) John Crossley

Additional resources

USDA: Find Escobaria tuberculosa in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Escobaria tuberculosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Escobaria tuberculosa

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-10
Research By: TWC Staff

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