This particular plant is from Gene Schroeder's collection and has sat on a number of show benches
Growth Habits: This is one of those cacti where there is quite a difference in the appearance in the juvenile plant as to how it looks at the adult stage when the spination has matured and tends to cover the whole of the plant. The plant has a solitary body that is globose through to cylindrical in older specimens. The stem is dark green but in an adult plant virtually impossible to see. The plant can grown to about a foot (30cm.) in diameter and up to 3ft. Tall (90 cm.) Rib count can be anything from 13 or 14 all the way up to 21 or 22. It may have 4 to 10 curved yellow spines which in time become a dirty grey and 4 to 6 whitish radials.
Scientific name: Ferocactus chrysacanthus
Common names: As far as I know this plant does not have a common name.
Synonym: Echinocactus chrysacanthus, Echinocactus emoryi var. chrysacanthus
Etymology: Ferocactus: From the Latin word ferox, meaning fierce and the Greek word kaktos, meaning thistle. Chrysacanthus: Usually means golden yellow flower, but may also in this plant refer to the yellow spines.
Origin: Mexico: Baja California: Cedros Island, San Benito Island.
Light: The plant will take full sun to light shade, but I would personally err on the side of caution with younger plants when the spines are still maturing and do not cover the whole of the plant, leaving the epidermis exposed
Compost: An average cactus compact is more than adequate for this species. Ensure plenty of drainage (a couple of inches of gravel) or similar.
Water: Only small amounts of water are required if the plant is well established. A good drench and then allow the compost to dry out completely before the next watering.
Flower: The flowers are nothing to write home to mum about, but it is always nice when a plant flowers. It shows that the plant is happy and healthy. Brownish yellow or orange flowers in summer, 1 inch long (2.5 cm), 2 inches in diameter (5 cm). The inside petals are yellow or orange, the outside ones are brownish.
Fruit: Unsure of the fruit or its colour. I have a recollection of it being a yellowish green, but it is best in articles such as this to deal solely with facts.
Min. temp: Minimum Average Temperature: 50°F (10°C). But the plant will take several degrees of frost if the compost is nice and dry.
Cultivation: Not a particulary difficult plant to grow as long as you do not overwater
Habitat: The area in which the plant can be found is so vast that a description of the habitat is virtually impossible as it jumps between true desert, hills, valleys, coastal areas etc. What is constant is that the plant tends to grow on the poorer areas of land and in places where the soil never becomes waterlogged because of its free drainage capabilities.
Comments: This cactus carries some of the most vicious spines in the cacti world and the plant should be kept well away from wives, girlfriends, small children and pets (not necessarily in that order). Joking apart the recurved spines can cause an awful lot of what can only be described as painful damage so care should be taken where it is placed