About Echinocereus maritimus (M.E.Jones) K.Schum.
Echinocereus maritimus (M.E.Jones) K.Schum. is a cushion-forming cactus that can produce up to 300 individual shoots. Mature clumps reach 40 centimeters (16 inches) in height and 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches) across. Its individual shoots are cylindrical, light to dark green, and measure 5 to 30 centimeters (2.0 to 11.8 inches) long, with a diameter of 3 to 7 centimeters (1.2 to 2.8 inches). The shoots bear eight to twelve sharp ribs. All spines of this species are initially bright red, and fade to dirty yellow or gray as they age. There are seven to ten flattened, angular central spines per areole, 3 to 6 centimeters (1.2 to 2.4 inches) long; radial spines measure 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters (0.59 to 0.98 inches) long. Bright yellow, funnel-shaped flowers grow below the tips of the shoots, reaching up to 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) in both length and width. The fruits are spherical and covered in thorns; they are green when young, and turn red as they ripen. This cactus is native to the west coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula and adjacent nearby islands. It grows in coastal desert scrub, at elevations ranging from 0 to 50 meters above sea level. It is found growing alongside the plant species Euphorbia misera, Agave sebastiana, Bergerocactus emoryi, Lophocereus schottii, Myrtillocactus cochal, Ferocactus fordii, Cylindropuntia prolifera, Cochemiea pondii, Mammillaria brandegeei, and Cochemiea hutchisoniana subsp. louisae.
