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Mohave Mound, Echinocactus polycephalus var. polycephalus
Mohave Mound Cactus,
Echinocactus polycephalus var. polycephalus
Also known as Cotton-top, Mohave Mound blossoms in July and August when few people visit the desert, and so few people ever see it in flower. In other parts of the year, in the few places where it is seen it is recognized by its reddish color which often is a bright contrast to other plant and soil colors.
The plant grows in spreading clumps, sometimes of more than 100 stems although 20 to 40 stems are more common.
A good place to roam through and look for Mohave Mound is north of County Road S-22 between Mile Marker 32 and Mile Marker 33 and the Santa Rosa Mountains. Before you walk into the area to look for the plants, if you scour the area with field glasses, it is possible, under the right conditions, to see reddish clumps of these plants in the distant hills.
To find Mohave Mound Cactus in flower, you must return when it is quite hot. The best plan is to scout a few locations in a cooler time of year so you can quickly check them out in July or August to see if there are flowers.
The red spines and (if you see them) yellow flowers of Mohave Mound set this cactus apart from the calico-colored spines and red flowers of Hedgehog Cactus. Mohave Mound stems are much broader as well. Barrel Cactus can also be confused with Mohave Mound, especially when the Barrel Cactus is growing in low clumps. The first difference to look for is the cotton top of the Mohave Mound. It looks like a small piece of a cotton ball and it will probably be protected by a tangle of red spines.
Mohave Mound Cactus,
Echinocactus polycephalus var. polycephalus
Mohave Mound Cactus,
Echinocactus polycephalus var. polycephalus
Mohave Mound Cactus,
Echinocactus polycephalus var. polycephalus
Mohave Mound Cactus,
Echinocactus polycephalus var. polycephalus
Mohave Mound Cactus,
Echinocactus polycephalus var. polycephalus
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