Echinocereus stramineus aka Strawberry Cactus

Echinocereus stramineus is a cactus in the family Cactaceae. Its common names include strawberry hedgehog and straw-colored hedgehog. Its native range spans southeastern New Mexico, western Texas, and northeastern Mexico. LLIFLE also records it across several states farther into Mexico. These include Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, and San Luis Potosí. It grows in dry shrubland and desert hills. Wild plants also occur in pine forest.

This succulent forms dense clumps of many short stems. Large clumps reach about 2–3 feet (0.6–0.9 metres) across. They can grow almost as tall as they spread. A colony may hold 100 stems or more. Some large colonies have as many as 500 heads. Each stem measures about 0.3–1 foot (0.1–0.3 metres) long. Stem width ranges from 0.1–0.33 feet (0.03–0.1 metres). Together, the crowded stems make a rounded mound.

Each stem has 10–13 ribs with deep grooves between them. The ribs have a wavy outline rather than straight edges. Spine-bearing areoles sit at intervals along the ribs. Each areole carries one to four central spines. These reach about 0.3 feet (0.09 metres) long. Seven to fourteen radial spines surround the central ones. The radial spines reach about 0.1 feet (0.03 metres). Spine length and density vary from plant to plant. Their colors include white, yellowish shades, dark red, and black.

Large flowers open in late spring, often in good numbers. Their colors range from bright pink to purple-red. Each bloom can span 0.41 feet (0.125 metres). The flower bases are dark red in most plants. Rare flowers have gold and green at the base instead. The petals fade toward rose at their tips. The inner petals have toothed edges. Pink edges mark the outer petals. Dark red fruits follow the flowers. They measure about 0.16 feet (0.05 metres) across. The fruit is edible, with a taste likened to strawberries.

Wild plants occupy rocky slopes in full sun. They grow on both limestone and soils from volcanic rock. LLIFLE places them at 3,940–6,890 feet (1,200–2,100 metres) above sea level. It reports abundant populations in places with little farming value. The same account identifies no known threats to the species.