About Echinocereus knippelianus Liebner
Echinocereus knippelianus grows as a single individual or sprouts new growth, often forming clusters of up to 50 shoots that rarely extend far above the soil surface. Its shoots are nearly spherical to spherical, green to quite blackish-green, and have soft flesh, reaching 3 to 8 cm (1.2 to 3.1 in) in diameter. The shoots have five to seven low, wide ribs. This species can have up to four straight or twisted light yellow thorns that vary greatly in size from 1.5 to 6 cm (0.59 to 2.36 in) long, though thorns may be absent entirely. The short, funnel-shaped flowers range in color from pink to faint purple to white, and emerge near the tips or along the sides of shoots. They are 2.5 to 4 cm (0.98 to 1.57 in) long and have a diameter of 4 to 6.5 cm (1.6 to 2.6 in). The spherical purple fruits split vertically, are covered in one or more thorns, and have some woolly covering. Echinocereus knippelianus is native to the Mexican states of Coahuila and Nuevo León, where it grows in open grasslands and pine forests at high altitudes between 2000 and 2200 meters.
