About Echinocereus stramineus Engelm. ex Rümpler
Echinocereus stramineus Engelm. ex Rümpler forms clumps of multiple stems. Sexually mature plants typically have between 10–50 and 100–350 stems; the largest recorded individual measured 1 meter across and holds up to 500 stems. The most distinctive characteristic of this species is the number of ribs per stem. Each stem usually has 11–17 ribs, with an average of 12, which helps distinguish Echinocereus stramineus from other species in the Echinocereus genus. Its areoles are circular in shape and spaced 7–15 mm apart on average. Each areole produces an average of 2–4 central spines, plus 7–10 radial spines; the radial spines are acicular and measure 2–3 cm long. This species is native to the United States and Mexico. In the United States, it occurs in New Mexico and southwest Texas, with specific populations documented in southern Trans-Pecos, the Big Bend region, Terrell County, the lower Pecos River, Val Verde County at 2,500–5000 ft, the area from the east side of Upton County to the Pecos River, and south-central New Mexico’s Doña Ana, Otero, and Eddy counties. In Mexico, it is found in Coahuila, East Chihuahua, the western edges of Nuevo León, northern Zacatecas, northeast Durango, and northern San Luis Potosí. It grows in desert, river-side, and higher mountain habitats that match the typical preferred environment of other cacti.
