Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp. armatus
Delicious little collector cactus from Mexico.
This cactus has large, pretty pink flowers with a clearer often greenish center. It's beauty makes it particularly desirable to collectors.

Description: Single or branching at the base when old.
Stems: Green, up to 20 (40) cm tall, 7-10 cm in diameter
Ribs: approx.15- 20, width 5-10 mm.
Roots: Fibrous.
Areoles: Elongated elliptic.
Central spines: 1 or 2 sharpen, light brown, darkly tipped.
Radial spines: up to 23, clearer white-brownish to white-greyish straight, closely pectinate;
Blooming Habits: Appearing next to the stem tip, scented magenta-pink, with somehow darker midstrips, more brightly to green in the throat , 7-12 cm long and in diameter. Filaments light green, stylus and anther dark green
Fruit: Oval green-brownish. Ripe two month after blooming.

Cultivation: In culture E. pectinatus is without problems and regularly shows its beautiful flowers if we provide an adequate winter rest period. It is sensitive to overwatering (rot prone) needs good drainage, Keep drier and cool in winter. Need full sun; Cold resistant hardy to -5° (-10°) C or less for short periods of time.

Propagation: Seeds or cutting (if available)

• E. reichenbachii
• E. reichenbachii subsp. armatus
• E. reichenbachii var. albertii
• E. reichembachii var. baileyi
• E. reichembachii var. bayilei "albispinus"
• E. reichembachii var. baylei "brunispinus"
• E. reichenbachii subsp. fitchii
• E. reichenbachii subsp. perbellus
• E. reichenbachii "melanocentrus"

The taxonomic and geographic boundaries among the segregate species or infraspecific taxa of Echinocereus reichenbachii remain nebulous and controversial. In no place do pure populations exist sympatrically, and all taxa appear completely interfertile.

Scientific name: Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp. armatus (POSELGER) N.P. TAYLOR.
In: HUNT. - Cact.Cons.Init. 3: 9 (1997)

Origin:  Mexico (Nuevo Leon: Monterrey)
Type locality: Mountains not far away from Monterrey, Poselger 1849 - 1852 (not preserved) Neotype: Mexico: Nuevo León: Caon de Huasteca, 1500 m NN, leg. W. Blum ex cult. Lau 1190, 25 October 1978 [ZSS A 17981]

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Habitat: Grows on limestone terraces, altitude 550-700 (1500) m.
 

• E. pectinatus var. armatus (POSELGER) RUEMPLER. In: FOERSTER. - Förster’s Handb.Cacteenk. ed. 2: 818 (1886)
• Cereus pectinatus var. spinosus
  J. COULTER.  In : Contr.U.S. Nat. Herb. 3: 387 (1896) nom.nov. pro
• E. pectinatus var. armatus (POSELGER) RUEMPLER
• E. armatus (POSELGER) BERGER. In: Kakteen: 179 (1929)
• E. armatus (POSELGER) KNUTH.
  In: BACKEBERG & KNUTH. - Kaktus ABC: 318 (1935)
• E. caespitosus var. armatus (POSELGER ) BORG. In: Cacti: 174 (1937) pro.syn., nom.inval.
• E. spinosus (J. COULTER) BORG.
  In: Cacti: 174 (1937) nom.inval.
• E. reichenbachii var. armatus (POSELGER) N.P. TAYLOR.
  In: The Genus Echinocereus: 133 (1985)
• E. winterianus HORT. WINTER ex KUNZMANN.
  In: Kak.and.Sukk. 36 (4): 79 (1985) nom.nud.
• E. reichenbachii ssp. armatus (POSELGER) N.P. TAYLOR.
  In: HUNT. - Cact.Cons.Init. 3: 9 (1997)
• Echinocereus fitchii ssp. armatus (POSELGER) BLUM, LANGE et RUTOW
  In Blum et al.- ECHINOCEREUS 314, 1998
• Echinocereus reichenbachii var. armatus (Poselger) Taylor 1985