About Echinocereus subinermis Salm-Dyck ex Scheer
Echinocereus subinermis Salm-Dyck ex Scheer may grow alone or branch, often forming clumps of up to 10 individual shoots. Its stems start out globose, with a gray-green to reddish color and 5 to 11 prominent ribs, and mature into cylindrical or conical shapes that measure 4–33 cm tall and 4–15 cm wide. It produces yellow flowers 8 cm long in early summer. This cactus can have up to 4 central spines, which range from 0.1 to 2 centimeters long and may be light or dark in color; central spines may also be absent entirely. It can also have up to 10 slender marginal spines that are light yellow to gray and measure 0.1 to 3 centimeters long, and marginal spines may also be absent. The flowers are funnel-shaped, fragrant, bright yellow, and develop near the tips of shoots. They measure 7 to 10 centimeters long and 5 to 13 centimeters across. When ripe, the gray-green, obovate, thorny fruits contain white pulp and split open lengthwise. Echinocereus subinermis grows naturally on rocky slopes in deciduous oak forest in the Mexican states of Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, and Durango. It occurs in the western Sierra Madre Occidental, at elevations between 200 and 1300 meters. In its native habitat, it grows alongside Mammillaria standleyi, Cochemiea grahamii, Mammillaria marksiana, Echinocereus scheeri, Ferocactus schwarzii, Ferocactus alamosanus, Opuntia decumbens, Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum, Bursera laxiflora, Sabal mexicana, Agave vilmoriniana, Agave bovicornuta, and Agave guadalajarana. When cultivated in temperate regions, it requires protection from cold in a heated glass structure. This species has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
