Help ID my Cactus

If you have a cactus plant and need help identifying it, this is the place to post it.
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ElJebelMIke
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2016 8:57 pm

Help ID my Cactus

Post by ElJebelMIke »

I recently found this cactus near my house (western Colorado, 7000') and would appreciate help in identifying it.
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Unknown Cactus - reduced.jpg
Unknown Cactus - reduced.jpg (114.23 KiB) Viewed 1052 times
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rsales3
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2016 9:03 pm
Location: Orange County, California

Re: Help ID my Cactus

Post by rsales3 »

Could be Stenocereus s. hollianus v. cristata, looks very similar to mine. Would help if you could get a closer picture.
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Stenocereus Hollianus5.jpg
Stenocereus Hollianus5.jpg (62.58 KiB) Viewed 1027 times
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hegar
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Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:04 am
Location: El Paso, Texas

Re: Help ID my Cactus

Post by hegar »

Try to photograph the normal shaped offsets near your cristate cactus. Get a close-up photo, which shows the spines, ribs, and tubercles with these structures being in focus. If that cannot be done, a good description of these things would also be helpful, e.g. how many central spines and how many radial ones, length, color and physical appearance of spines.
If this plant has ever flowered for you, what was the color of the blossom?
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vlani
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Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 5:40 pm
Location: Mountain View CA

Re: Help ID my Cactus

Post by vlani »

Given the location I'd venture Pediocactis simpsoni. Close-op of the round heads would help to confirm
DaveW
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Location: Nottingham, England/UK

Re: Help ID my Cactus

Post by DaveW »

As Hegar and Vlani say it simply looks like a cristate of the normal plants beside it, so all you need to do is identify those, but they certainly are not Stenocereus.
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vlani
Posts: 2185
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 5:40 pm
Location: Mountain View CA

Re: Help ID my Cactus

Post by vlani »

Actually in Colorado there is even a name for Pedio simpsonii cristates - 'Snake Cactus'
ElJebelMIke
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Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2016 8:57 pm

Re: Help ID my Cactus

Post by ElJebelMIke »

Thanks for the quick replies.

I've attached a closeup of one of the the adjoining, normal plants.
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Closeup of the top of a more normal section of the "unknown" cactus.
Closeup of the top of a more normal section of the "unknown" cactus.
Unknown Closeup - reduced.jpg (87.37 KiB) Viewed 955 times
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