Saguaro or not?

[hegar]

Well, here I am once again. Today I received a very nice good-sized cactus plant in a 5-gallon bucket.
To me this cactus looks like a Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea). However, there are other similar columnar cacti around.
Would you please take a look and let me know, if I am most likely correct with the identification of the plant?
Thank you very much for your input.

Harald

Here is some information about the specimen pictured:

Height: 8 inches (20 cm), Diameter: 4 1/2 inches (11.5 cm), Central Spine Length: 2 inches (5 cm),
Lateral Spine Length: up to 1 inch (2.5 cm), Lateral Spine Number: 13-14, Number of Ribs: 13

[Gerd Hayenga]

Hello,

yes, I would support your identification of the plant as a seedling of Carnegia gigantea.
If you wait another 50 years it may grow it's first arm and flower
Gerd

[tumamoc]

I agree--saguaro. Definitely not Pachycereus pringlei.

[Brontosaurus]

Where did you get it, if you don't mind my asking?

[hegar]

Thank you very much Gerd Hayenga and tumamoc for letting me know, that my tentative identification is correct.
@ Brontosaurus: The plant was confiscated by U.S. Customs and Border Control agents. Somebody had tried to bring it into this country after a trip to Mexico. Two federal regulations were violated:
1. Any plant that is listed in the CITES Appendices (CITES = Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) requires an export permit from the country of origin, in this case Mexico
2. The plant arrived in soil, which is also strictly regulated.

Part of my job entails examining plants or plant parts for pathogen presence and other pests and I also deal with CITES-regulated plants.

[K.W.]

Good evening Harald,

four Photos from Saguaro´s.
First one a young plant and a old plant, both at Saguaro Nationalpark (West) near Tucson.

123954

123955


123966

123968


Best wishes

K.W.