About Cochemiea grahamii (Engelm.) Doweld
Cochemiea grahamii grows either alone or branches from its base, and has thickened roots and hooked stems. Its light green shoots range from spherical to short cylindrical, and typically reach 7 to 20 cm (2.8 to 7.9 in) in height, sometimes growing taller. Shoot diameters measure between 7.5 and 11 cm (3.0 to 4.3 in). This cactus produces cylindrical to egg-shaped, often square warts that do not contain milky juice, and have naked axillae. It has 1 to 4 yellowish-brown to dark brown central spines, 1.2 to 2.5 cm (0.47 to 0.98 in) long; the longest central spine is usually hooked. It also has 20 to 35 straight, needle-like marginal spines, which are white to light brown or reddish, and measure 0.6 to 1.2 cm (0.24 to 0.47 in) long. Flowers of Cochemiea grahamii open in April and May, and range in color from pink or lavender to lavender-pink, reddish purple, and sometimes white. Flower diameters are 2 to 4.5 cm (0.79 to 1.77 in). The plant produces almost spherical red fruits 1.2 to 2.5 cm (0.47 to 0.98 in) long that hold black seeds. Cochemiea grahamii is distributed in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas in the United States, and in Sonora, Sinaloa, and Chihuahua in Mexico. It grows at elevations between 200 and 1800 meters, in dry habitats including gravel or grassland, desert mountains, sandy or rocky canyons, washes, and plains, on igneous or limestone substrate. It can be found growing among Larrea tridentata or within grasslands.
