Turks Head
Scientific Name: Ferocactus hamatacanthus ssp. hamatacanthus (Muehlpf.) Britton & Rose
Synonym: Bisnaga hamatacantha, Echinocactus flexispinus, Echinocactus hamatocanthus, Echinocactus longihamatus var. crassispinus , Echinocactus longihamatus, Ferocactus hamatacanthus var. crassispinus , Hamatocactus hamatacanthus, Hamatocactus longihamatus
Family: Cactaceae
Ferocactus hamatacanthus at the Huntington Gardens in early July
USDA: 6-11
Frost Tolerance: The most cold resistant of the Ferocacti, hardy to below 0°F (-18°C)
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Origin: USA (southeastern New Mexico, southwestern Texas), northern Mexico
Growth Habits: Solitary, or sparsely clumping, dark green stem, 12 inches in diameter (30 cm), 2 feet tall (60 cm); 13 to 17 tuberculate ribs; areoles 0.4 to 1.2 inches apart (1-3 cm), young ones with yellow felt; 4 central spines, up to 6 inches long (15 cm); 8 to 12 radials, 2 to 3 inches long (5-7.5 cm)
The species name "hamatacanthus" comes from the Greek for "with hooked spines".
One rib and a flower, as Echinocactus longihamatus, picture from K. Schumann "Gesamtbeschreibung der Kakteen"
Blooming Habits:
Yellow flowers, greenish brown, outside, 2.8 inches long (7 cm). The green fruit, 0.8 to 2 inches long is fleshy and edible.
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