About Ferocactus latispinus (Haw.) Britton & Rose
Ferocactus latispinus grows as a single globular light green cactus. It reaches 30 centimetres (12 in) to 1 meter in height and 40 centimetres (16 in) across, and has 21 sharp ribs. Its spines are flattened, and range in color from reddish to white. It produces four central spines that grow up to 4–5 centimetres (1.6–2.0 in) long and 4–9 millimetres (0.16–0.35 in) wide, plus 5 to 15 marginal spines that are either straight or recurved. Flowering occurs in late autumn or early winter. The funnel-shaped flowers are purplish or yellowish and grow to 4 cm long, and are followed by oval, scaled fruit that reaches 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in) in length. This species is endemic to Mexico. The more widely distributed subspecies latispinus ranges from southeastern Durango, through Zacatecas and Aguascalientes, east to the western parts of San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo and Puebla, and also occurs in eastern Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro and Mexico State. Subspecies spiralis is restricted to the southern parts of Oaxaca and Puebla. This species typically grows beneath nurse plants, such as tree canopies and shrubs. Nurse plants protect the smaller cacti growing below them from harsh weather conditions, and provide shade for the cacti in arid, sunny environments. It can be found growing in oak forest, grasslands, silt flats, and rocky outcrops, at elevations between 600 and 2,600 metres (2,000 to 8,500 ft). Ferocactus latispinus is fairly commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant. It blooms at an early age, which is a desirable feature for horticulture. It is hardy to −4 °C, and has an average minimum tolerated temperature of 10 °C. In Mexico, the slime mold Didymium wildpretii feeds on the decaying remains of F. latispinus.
