Glaucous Barrel Cactus

Description

Ferocactus glaucescens, the glaucous barrel cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Cactaceae, native to the limestone hills of Hidalgo, endemic to México. It is a spherical or cylindrical cactus growing to 60 cm (24 in) in diameter, with long yellow spines and yellow flowers in summer. In cultivation in temperate regions it must be grown under glass. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. There is a spineless form, Ferocactus glaucescens forma nuda (inermis). Ferocactus is a genus of large barrel-shaped cacti, mostly with large spines and small flowers. There are about 30 species included in the genus. They are found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The young specimens are columnar but as they grow older ribs form and they take on a barrel form. Most of the species are solitary but some, such as Ferocactus robustus and F. glaucescens, have clustering habits. The flowers are pink, yellow, red or purple depending on the species, and the petals sometimes have a stripe of a darker colour.