About Echinocereus relictus Wellard
Echinocereus relictus Wellard grows in loose clusters that contain between 1 and 45 shoots. Its green shoots are cylindrical to elongated, measuring 3 to 7.6 centimeters long and 2.1 to 6.5 centimeters in diameter. The surface of the shoots is not fully covered by spines. This species has 11 to 14 crested ribs that do not have distinct tubercles. It produces 0 to 4 central spines, which are straight or curved, gray to reddish brown with darker tips, and range from 0.4 to 1 centimeter long. There are 10 to 16 radial spines, which are spreading, straight, whitish or grayish, and measure 0.5 to 1.4 centimeters long. The flowers are broadly funnel-shaped, colored rose to magenta, and emerge from the upper half of the shoots. They are 5 to 9 centimeters long, and reach 3 to 9 centimeters in diameter. The fruits are spherical and fleshy; they are green when young, and later turn orange-red, reaching 2 to 4 centimeters in size. Fruits contain reddish white pulp and black seeds. The chromosome number for this species is 2n=22. Echinocereus relictus is native to Mohave County, Arizona, and Washington County, Utah, United States. It grows at elevations between 700 and 1600 meters, among rock outcrops and crevices on open hills and valleys, in desert shrub and pinyon-juniper forest habitats.
