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Escobaria sneedii
Also called Sneed's pincushion cactus, Carpet foxtail cactus, Lee's Pincushion, Sneed's Cory Cactus, Sneed's Escobaria, Sneed's Pincushion
Pelecyphora sneedii (syn. Coryphantha sneedii) is a rare species of cactus known by the common names Sneed's pincushion cactus and carpet foxtail cactus. It is endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is a small, variable cactus with a lengthy taxonomic history, and is often subdivided into a number of subspecies or varieties. It is usually found on steep, rocky habitats, primarily of limestone geology, in desert scrub or coniferous forest. A species of conservation concern, P. sneedii faces threats from poaching, urban encroachment, and wildfires.
The former cacti species Coryphantha orcuttii has been lumped into sneedii as a subspecies. P. sneedii also intergrades with Pelecyphora vivipara, further complicating classification. Because of the variation and intergradation of P. sneedii, it forms a species complex.
Sneed's pincushion cactus is popular with cactus enthusiasts and dealers because of its often petite size and tolerance for moderately cold climates.
In cultivation, it prefers a well-draining inorganic substrate, as the roots are easily susceptible to rot. Sneed's cactus must be kept completely dry during its dormant season in the winter months, and atmospheric humidity must be kept at a low. Regular watering may be done throughout the spring and summer once the growing season has resumed, provided the soil is well-drained. Fertilization requirements are simple, consisting of a high-potassium fertilizer during the summer growing season for Sneed's feed, and seed propagation is equally straightforward, with seeds sown after the last frost in spring typically germinating within one to two weeks provided they are well-ventilated and kept out of direct sun. Sneed's pincushion can also be propagated asexually via offsets from the base of the plant.
It is native to the Chihuahuan Desert, where it occurs in scattered locations in New Mexico, Texas, and Chihuahua. Some plants occurring in Arizona may be included within this species. It is usually found in broken, rocky terrain and steep slopes of Silurian-Ordovician-Cambrian limestone, usually in Chihuahuan desert scrub and sometimes in coniferous woodlands in the Trans-Pecos region.
Pelecyphora duncanii · Pelecyphora lloydii · Pelecyphora minima · Pelecyphora missouriensis · Pelecyphora tuberculosa · Pelecyphora zilziana · Pelecyphora abdita · Pelecyphora alversonii · Hatchet Cactus · Pelecyphora chihuahuensis · Pelecyphora chlorantha · Pelecyphora cubensis
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Pelecyphora sneedii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
