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Home/Species/ Engelmann's Hedgehog Cactus

Echinocereus engelmannii

(Parry ex Engelm.) Lem.

Engelmann's Hedgehog Cactus

G5Secure Found in 98 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.160314
Element CodePDCAC06030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
CITESAppendix II
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderCaryophyllales
FamilyCactaceae
GenusEchinocereus
Other Common Names
Engelmann's hedgehog cactus (EN) Saints Cactus (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Review Date1988-06-30
Change Date1988-06-30
Edition Date1988-01-28
Edition AuthorsLAMBERT, A.
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Widely distributed, over 150 EO's.
Range Extent Comments
Mojavean, Arizona, Colorado Deserts. Colorado, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Mexico.
Occurrences Comments
Over 150 EO's (Benson 1982).
Threat Impact Comments
Most cacti subject to horticultural collecting.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Gravelly, sandy, or rocky soils of hillsides, washes, and canyons in the desert, plains, pine woods, chaparral, grass; 2000 to 5000 feet elevation (Benson, 1969). It is frequently found in desert shrub communities below about 6600 feet (Rhode, 2002).

Ecology

Echinocereus engelmannii is commonly found growing under the canopy of Opuntia fulgida. Opuntia fulgida is thought to act in a nurse plant capacity providing refuge from predators and favorable microhabitat conditions.

Reproduction

While there is a paucity of species-specific information on seed dispersal, ringtails, and gray foxes are known to eat the fruits of Echinocereus (Willson 1993).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaSNRYes
ArizonaS5Yes
NevadaS4Yes
UtahSNRYes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (98)
Arizona (47)
AreaForestAcres
Arnold MesaPrescott National Forest12,286
Ash CreekPrescott National Forest7,663
Big RidgeKaibab National Forest9,087
Black CanyonPrescott National Forest10,683
Black CrossTonto National Forest5,966
Blind Indian CreekPrescott National Forest26,847
BoulderTonto National Forest40,359
Boulder CanyonCoconino National Forest4,554
Burro CanyonKaibab National Forest19,928
Butterfly Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest42,296
Catalina St. Pk. Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest951
Cdo WsaCoronado National Forest1,955
Cimarron HillsCoconino National Forest5,303
Coconino RimKaibab National Forest7,213
FritschePrescott National Forest14,190
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
GoldfieldTonto National Forest15,257
Grief HillPrescott National Forest12,535
HackberryPrescott National Forest914
HackberryCoconino National Forest17,885
Hell HoleApache-Sitgreaves National Forests15,512
HellsgateTonto National Forest6,171
Horse MesaTonto National Forest9,146
Hot AirApache-Sitgreaves National Forests31,712
Lime CreekTonto National Forest42,568
Lower RinconCoronado National Forest3,278
Lower Romero WSRCoronado National Forest10
Lower San FranciscoApache-Sitgreaves National Forests59,310
MazatzalTonto National Forest16,942
Middle Romero WSRCoronado National Forest60
Mitchell PeakApache-Sitgreaves National Forests35,398
MuldoonPrescott National Forest5,821
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
Painted BluffsApache-Sitgreaves National Forests43,118
PicachoTonto National Forest4,969
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
Pine Mountain Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest6,518
PipestemApache-Sitgreaves National Forests34,598
Red PointKaibab National Forest7,139
Santa RitaCoronado National Forest6,078
Santa TeresaCoronado National Forest8,929
Sierra Ancha Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest7,787
SunsetApache-Sitgreaves National Forests28,948
Upper Rincon RoadlessCoronado National Forest2,991
Upper Romero WsrCoronado National Forest150
Walker MountainCoconino National Forest6,382
WhetstoneCoronado National Forest20,728
California (17)
AreaForestAcres
Birch CreekInyo National Forest28,816
Black CanyonInyo National Forest32,421
Boundary Peak (CA)Inyo National Forest210,884
Cactus Springs BSan Bernardino National Forest3,106
CalienteCleveland National Forest5,953
Cutca ValleyCleveland National Forest14,530
Deep CreekSan Bernardino National Forest23,869
Granite PeakSan Bernardino National Forest450
Heartbreak RidgeSan Bernardino National Forest4,455
Horse Creek RidgeSan Bernardino National Forest8,969
PaiuteInyo National Forest58,712
Pyramid Peak BSan Bernardino National Forest7,194
Sill HillCleveland National Forest5,294
Soldier CanyonInyo National Forest40,589
SugarloafSan Bernardino National Forest8,206
TinemahaInyo National Forest27,060
Wonoga Pk.Inyo National Forest11,272
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Nevada (27)
AreaForestAcres
Angel Peak NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest12,577
Arc Dome - OphirHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,652
Arc Dome - Secret BsnHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest74,782
Arc Dome - TwinHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest8
Bald Mtn.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest41,598
Bunker HillHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest27,569
Charleston - CarpenterHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest17,828
Charleston - ClarkHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest4,674
Charleston - Macks CynHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest11,378
Charleston - McfarlandHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest2,465
La Madre - TroutHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest2,101
Lovell Summit SouthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest28,455
MckinneyHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,790
Moriah - Hendrys Ck.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest2,345
Moriah - Silver CreekHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,582
Moriah - Smith Ck. NHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest103
Moriah - Smith Ck. SHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest45
Mt. ArdiveyHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest37,984
PotosiHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,145
QuinnHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest62,459
SaulsburyHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest30,957
Snake - Pole CkHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest79
South SchellHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest125,614
Stirling - JohnnieHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,449
Stirling - West DHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest134
Toiyabe RangeHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest99,225
Warm SpringsHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest29,540
New Mexico (2)
AreaForestAcres
Hell HoleGila National Forest19,553
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
South Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Utah (2)
AreaForestAcres
CottonwoodDixie National Forest6,754
Pine Valley MountainsDixie National Forest57,673
References (7)
  1. Benson, L. 1969. The Native Cacti of California. Stanford University Press: Stanford, California. 243 pp.
  2. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  3. McAuliffe, J.R. 1984. Prey refugia and the distributions of two Sonoran desert cacti. Oecologia 65(1): 82-85
  4. Rhode, D. 2002. Native Plants of Southern Nevada An Ethnobotany. University of Utah Press: Salt Lake City, Utah. 188 pp.
  5. Thomas, P. A. and P. Goodson. 1992. Conservation of succulents in desert grasslands managed by fire. Biological Conservation 60(2):91-100.
  6. Valiente-Banuet, A., and H. Godinez-Alvarez. 2002. Population and Community Ecology. Pages 91-108. in: P. Nobel, editor. Cacti: Biology and Uses. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.
  7. Willson, M. F. 1993. Mammals as seed-dispersal mutualists in North America. Oikos 67: 159-176.