Echinocactus polycephalus – “Clustered Barrel Cactus”

Also Known As: Cottontop Cactus
Other Botanical Names: Echinocactus polycephalus var. polycephalus
Family: Cactus (Cactaceae)
Bloom Period: May-Aug
Form: Multiple, spherical to cylindrical stems; 1-2 feet (0.3-.6 m) tall
Habitat: Rocky slopes
Leaves: 6-14 spines, curved and ridged, up to 1 to 1¾ inches (3–4.5 cm) long, red to gray
Translation: “Echino” is Greek for “hedgehog” or “spiny”; “polycephalus” is Greek for “many-headed”.
Notes: Bears a ring of yellow flowers at the top of each stem after mid-Summer, later than any other cactus in the region. “Cottontop” refers to the tufts of hairs around the base of the flower and fruit. The combination of red spines with clustered habit is what make this species unique. New stems accumulate with age, so the age can be roughly estimated by counting them. Bowers writes that “one individual in the Grand Canyon was first photographed in 1890 when it had only a few stems. One hundred years later, still in good health, it was a behemoth with about thirty stems piled together like so many bowling balls.” Not exactly a quick grower. According to Dawson, “plants with 10 to 20 heads are common, and an enormous specimen of 132 heads grew near Yermo until it was hacked to pieces by vandals.” Hacked to pieces by vandals? What’s wrong with us?
Native American Uses: Native Americans consumed the seeds. The Cahuilla ate the berries and stems. The Kawaiisu and Timbisha used the spines as awls in basket-making.