About Echinocereus bonkerae Thornber & Bonker
Echinocereus bonkerae typically grows in loose groups of 5 to 15 green, cylindrical to elongated shoots. Each shoot measures 12 to 20 cm (4.7 to 7.9 in) long and 4 to 7.5 cm (1.6 to 3.0 in) in diameter, and is partially obscured by spines. The shoots bear 11 to 16 ribs, along with one single, strong, upright central spine that is white or light gray with a darker tip, 6 to 7.5 mm (0.24 to 0.30 in) long. There are also 11 to 14 spreading, straight, whitish or grayish radial spines, which measure 1.2 to 2 cm (0.47 to 0.79 in) in length. The flowers of Echinocereus bonkerae are broadly funnel-shaped, and range in color from magenta to reddish-purple. They grow from the upper half of the shoots, and measure 5 to 6.2 cm (2.0 to 2.4 in) in both length and diameter. The fruits are spherical and fleshy; they start green and turn red as they mature. The chromosome count for this species is 2n = 22. This species is commonly found in dry grasslands and chaparral shrublands. Its distribution includes the Pinal and Santa Catalina Mountains of Arizona in the United States, and the neighboring Mexican state of Sonora, where it grows at elevations between 700 and 2000 meters. It also grows on rocky slopes and in sandy-loamy soil within pinyon-juniper woodlands.
