About Pelecyphora sneedii subsp. sneedii
Pelecyphora sneedii subsp. sneedii, commonly called Sneed's pincushion cactus, is a small cactus species that grows up to around 27 centimeters (11 inches) tall. In many cases, only a few centimeters of the stem are visible above ground, with the rest buried underground. This species can branch heavily even when small and immature, and some populations form up to 250 branches per individual. It is densely covered in areoles that bear bright white spines, with up to nearly 100 spines per areole. Each areole produces 25 to 52 radial spines, which are more or less appressed or tightly appressed, and measure 3 to 14 mm (0.12 to 0.55 in) long. There are 8 to 17 outer central spines per areole, which range from appressed to strongly projecting. Each areole also has up to 5 inner central spines; these are typically straight and arranged in a radiating spoke-like pattern, and measure 3 to 25 mm (0.12 to 0.98 in) long. Spine tint can vary depending on the growing substrate, and may be yellow, pink, purple, or brown. Spines often have dark tips, and they darken to gray or even black as the cactus ages. P. sneedii subsp. sneedii typically blooms in spring, from March to June. Its flowers grow near the apex of the stem, and measure 1 to 3 cm (0.39 to 1.18 in) long by 7 to 25 mm (0.28 to 0.98 in) wide. Outer tepals have margins that range from sparsely to densely fringed. There are 11 to 26 inner tepals, which can be white, cream, pale tan, greenish white, or pale rose-pink. Tepals usually have distinct, generally darker, midstripes of varying colors, though these stripes are sometimes absent. Inner tepals measure 5 to 14 mm (0.20 to 0.55 in) long by 0.8 to 4 mm (0.031 to 0.157 in) wide. Stamen filaments are low-contrast, often matching the color of the tepals, and they are topped with sulphur yellow or canary yellow anthers. The stigma is split into 2 to 7 pale lobes that are 1 to 3 mm (0.039 to 0.118 in) long. Fruits develop from May to September, and are dimorphic with two color phases: blood-red to magenta "red" fruits, and greenish-yellow to brown or purple "green" fruits. Fruits are cylindric, fusiform, obovoid, or narrowly clavate in shape, and grow up to 21 millimetres (0.83 in) long. Dried flower tissue remains attached to the mature fruit, and the fruit dries out quickly from its original juicy, succulent state. Seeds are brownish, 1.6 millimetres (0.063 in) long, and have a distinctively pitted surface. This subspecies is native to the Chihuahuan Desert, where it grows in scattered locations in New Mexico, Texas, and Chihuahua. Some plants found in Arizona may also be classified as this subspecies. It most commonly grows in broken rocky terrain and steep slopes of Silurian-Ordovician-Cambrian limestone, usually in Chihuahuan desert scrub, and sometimes in coniferous woodlands of the Trans-Pecos region. Sneed's pincushion cactus is popular with cactus enthusiasts and commercial dealers due to its generally small size and tolerance of moderately cold climates. For successful cultivation, it requires a well-draining inorganic growing substrate, because its roots rot easily if kept too wet. It must be kept completely dry during its winter dormant season, and atmospheric humidity must be kept low. Regular watering can be done through spring and summer once the growing season resumes, as long as the growing medium is well-drained. Fertilization is simple: a high-potassium fertilizer applied during the summer growing season is sufficient. Propagation from seed is straightforward; seeds sown after the last frost in spring typically germinate within one to two weeks if kept well-ventilated and out of direct sun. Sneed's pincushion cactus can also be propagated asexually using offsets that grow from the base of the plant.
