Column foxtail cactus

Description

Escobaria albicolumnaria is a species of plant in the genus Escobaria of the cactus family (Cactaceae). The specific epithet albicolumnaria is derived from the Latin words albus for 'white' and columnarius for 'having pillars' and refers to the short cylindrical and white-thorned shoots of the species. CommonEnglish names are " Silver-Lace Cob Cactus" and "White Column". Escobaria albicolumnaria grows solitary or sometimes branched. The short, elongated to cylindrical shoots reach heights of growth of up to 25 centimeters with a diameter of 4 to 6.5 centimeters. The 4 to 8 millimeters long warts are stiff and furrowed along their entire length. The eleven to 15 white central spines have lengths of 1.2 to 1.8 centimeters. Two to four of them are slightly longer than the rest. The 25 to 30 white spread radial spines are 4 to 10 millimeters long. Some of them are bristling. The pink flowers are up to 2 centimeters long and reach a diameter of 1.5 to 1.8 centimeters. The elongated fruits are yellowish green to pink, 1 to 1.7 centimeters long and have a diameter of 5 to 7 millimeters. Sometimes the fruits bear one or two small scales. In the United States, Escobaria albicolumnaria is found only in the state of Texas in Brewster County.