About Echinocereus ledingii Peebles
Echinocereus ledingii forms clusters containing four to ten shoots. The shoots are green, ranging from egg-shaped to cylindrical in form, measuring 25 to 50 cm (9.8 to 19.7 in) long and 6 to 8 cm (2.4 to 3.1 in) in diameter, and are often hidden by thorns. The shoots bear twelve to fourteen non-tuberculated ribs, rarely up to sixteen. This species has one to four strong, round, yellowish central spines that darken to black with age, measuring 2 to 2.5 cm (0.79 to 0.98 in) long; the strongest of these central spines curves downward. Additionally, there are nine to eleven spread-out, yellowish marginal spines, each 1.2 to 1.5 cm (0.47 to 0.59 in) long. The broadly funnel-shaped flowers are magenta to pink-purple, and emerge near the tips or along the sides of the shoots. The flowers measure 5 to 6 cm (2.0 to 2.4 in) in both length and width. The spherical fruits start out green, turning red when mature; they are fleshy and edible. Echinocereus ledingii is native to southeastern Arizona, United States, where it grows in chaparral and oak woodlands at elevations between 1,200 and 2,000 m (3,900 to 6,600 ft).
