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Since 4 Aug 2013
Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 41: 127. 1969
Family: CACTACEAE
Origin and Habitat: Known populations of the black lace cactus are in Kleberg, Jim Wells, and Refugio counties of south Texas.
Currently less than 4000 plants are known in the wild, with several populations being destroyed. The black lace cactus is endangered because its rangeland habitat has been cleared or planted to crops.
Habitat: It is found in coastal areas or along creeks in open unshaded grasslands, dominated by halophytic grasses and forbs and or under heavy brush on south Texas range and invaded by mesquite and other shrubs. The local topography is fairly flat, with water standing after heavy rains. The elevation varies from 3 to 60 meter. The climate is semi-arid. Black lace cactus occurs on somewhat saline clay and silt sheets (composed of clay, fine silt sand and gravel). It is often found growing along with Thelocactus setispinusSN|3447]]SN|3447]], Echinocactus texensisSN|2231]]SN|2231]], Mammillaria heyderiSN|20805]]SN|20805]] var. hemisphaerica, Opuntia leptocaulisSN|19920]]SN|10936]] and Opuntia engelmanniiSN|10936]]SN|19920]].
Synonyms:
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. albertii L.D.Benson
- Echinocereus fitchii subs. albertii (L.D.Benson) W.Blum & Mich.Lange in W.Blum et al.
Echinocereus reichenbachii var. albertii L.D.Benson
Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 41: 127. 1969
Synonymy: 2
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. albertii L.D.Benson
- Echinocereus fitchii subs. albertii (L.D.Benson) W.Blum & Mich.Lange in W.Blum et al.
Echinocereus reichenbachii (Terscheck ex Walp.) Haage jr. ex Britton & Rose
Cactaceae (Britton & Rose) 3: 25. 1922 [12 Oct 1922] ; vide Gray Herb. Card Cat
Synonymy: 38
- Echinocereus reichenbachii (Terscheck ex Walp.) Haage jr. ex Britton & Rose
- Cereus reichenbachianus Labour.
- Echinocactus reichenbachianus (Terscheck) Terscheck ex Fennel
- Echinocactus reichenbachii Terscheck ex Walp.
- Echinocereus caespitosus var. reichenbachii (Terscheck ex Walp.) Borg
- Echinocereus pectinatus var. reichenbachii (Terscheck ex Walp.) Werderm.
- Echinocereus reichenbachianus hort. ex Haage
- Echinopsis pectinata var. reichenbachiana (Terscheck) Salm-Dyck
- Echinopsis reichenbachiana Pfeiff. ex C.F.Först.
- Echinocereus caespitosus var. castaneus (Engelm.) Rümpler in Förster
- Cereus caespitosus var. castaneus Engelm. in A.Gray
- Cereus reichenbachianus var. castaneus Labour.
- Echinocereus caespitosus var. major (Engelm.) Rümpler in C.F.Först.
- Cereus caespitosus var. major Engelm.
- Echinocereus caespitosus var. minor (Engelm.)
- Cereus caespitosus var. minor Engelm.
- Echinocereus pailianus
- Echinocereus reichenbachii f. albispinus hort. non Lahman
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. anigosanthus Y.Itô
- Echinocereus reichenbachii f. brevispinum hort.
- Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. burrensis G.Frank, Metorn & E.Scherer
- Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. caespitosus (Engelm.) W.Blum & Mich.Lange in W.Blum et al.
- Cereus caespitosus Engelm. & A.Gray
- Echinocereus caespitosus (Engelm.) Engelm. in Wisliz.
- Echinocereus pectinatus var. caespitosus (Engelm.) K.Schum.
- Echinocereus pectinatus f. caespitosus (Engelm.) Schelle
- Mammillaria caespitosa (Engelm.) A.Gray
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. castaneus (Engelm.) nov. comb. ined.
- Echinocereus caespitosus f. castaneus (Engelm.) Borg
- Echinocereus castaneus (Engelm.) Orcutt
- Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. comanchensis D.Felix, Oldach & J.Oldach
- Echinocereus reichenbachii f. cristatus hort.
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. purpureus (Lahman) D.Parker
- Echinocereus caespitosus var. purpureus (Lahman) D.Weniger
- Echinocereus purpureus Lahman
- Echinocereus rotatus Linke
- Echinocereus pectinatus var. rotatus (Linke) Linke ex Haage
- Echinocereus texensis Jacobi
Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. armatus (Poselg. ex Engelm.) N.P.Taylor
Cactaceae Consensus Init. 3: 9. 1997
Synonymy: 8
- Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. armatus (Poselg. ex Engelm.) N.P.Taylor
- Cereus pectinatus var. armatus Poselg. ex Engelm.
- Echinocereus armatus (Poselg.) A.Berger
- Echinocereus caespitosus var. armatus (Poselg. ex Engelm.) Borg
- Echinocereus fitchii var. armatus
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. armatus (Poselg. ex Engelm.) N.P.Taylor
- Echinocereus spinosus (J.M.Coult.) Borg
- Cereus pectinatus var. spinosus J.M.Coult.
Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. baileyi (Rose) N.P.Taylor
Cactaceae Consensus Init. 3:9. 1997
Synonymy: 13
- Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. baileyi (Rose) N.P.Taylor
- Echinocereus baileyi Rose
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. baileyi (Rose) N.P.Taylor
- Echinocereus baileyi var. brunispinus Backeb.
- Echinocereus baileyi var. caespiticus Backeb.
- Echinocereus longispinus Lahman
- Echinocereus mariae Backeb.
- Echinocereus oklahomensis Lahman
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. albispinus (Lahman) L.D.Benson
Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. fitchii (Britton & Rose) N.P.Taylor
Cactaceae Consensus Init. 3: 9. 1997
Synonymy: 4
- Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. fitchii (Britton & Rose) N.P.Taylor
- Echinocereus fitchii Britton & Rose
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. fitchii (Britton & Rose) L.D.Benson
- Echinocereus melanocentrus J. Lowry
Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. perbellus (Britton & Rose) N.P.Taylor
Cactaceae Consensus Init. 3: 9. 1997
Synonymy: 3
- Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. perbellus (Britton & Rose) N.P.Taylor
- Echinocereus perbellus Britton & Rose
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. perbellus (Britton & Rose) L.D.Benson
ENGLISH: Black Lace Cactus
Description: The black lace cactus, Echinocereus fitchiiSN|7612]]SN|7597]] subsp. albertii (Echinocereus reichenbachiiSN|7575]]SN|7575]] var. albertii), is a small cactus single or branching when old with dense closely pectinate spines. The spines are white to dark dark purple.
Stem: Cylindrical, deep green in color, 3 to 15 cm long, 3 to 5 cm thick.
Ribs: 10 to 13, tuberculate.
Areoles: Elliptic, 1,5 mm long, almost touching.
Central spines: 0 or 1, dark, 2 to 3 mm long, purple-black in colour, perpendicular to the stem, or turning slightly upward.
Radial spines: 14 to 20, white with dark purple tip, straight, closely pectinate, 3 to 6 mm long.
Flowers: 5 to 8 cm long, 5 to 7,5 cm wide, and pink to purple in colour with a very dark purple-brown throat.
Blooming season: Budding and anthesis occur intermittently through the spring and summer.
Fruit: Green.
Remarks: The taxonomic and geographic boundaries among the segregate species or infraspecific taxa of Echinocereus reichenbachiiSN|7575]]SN|7575]] remain nebulous and controversial. In no place do pure populations exist sympatrically, and all taxa appear completely interfertile. E. reichenbachii var. albertii is intermediate between Echinocereus reichenbachiiSN|7575]]SN|7575]] var. reichenbachii, with a more northern distribution, and Echinocereus reichenbachiiSN|7575]]SN|7575]] var. fitchii, with a more southern distribution in the Rio Grande Valley. Echinocereus melanocentrusSN|7597]]SN|7612]] is an invalid name of uncertain application, perhaps referable to E. reichenbachii var. albertii.
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Echinocereus reichenbachii group
Echinocereus baileyi var. brunispinus Backeb.: No central spine with brown, intelacing, bristly, radials spines. Distribution: Oklahoma.- Echinocereus melanocentrus J. Lowry: same as: Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. fitchii
- Echinocereus oklahomensis Lahman: It is one of the local forms of Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. baileyi distinguished by having 20-24 radial spines only 2 cm long and 0-2 centrals. Distribution: south-west Oklahoma.
- Echinocereus pailanus Fritz Schwarz ex Backeb.: has fine-textured pinkish-red or pink-brown pectinated spines. distribution Coahuila, (Sierra Paila)?
- Echinocereus reichenbachii (Terscheck ex Walp.) Haage jr. ex Britton & Rose: Small solitary or slowly branching cylindrical shaped cactus.It has 20 to 36, white to tan pectinatd radial spines held closely against the the ribs of the stems, organized in 2 series. Central spines usually absent.
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. albertii L.D.Benson: This cactus has large, pretty pink flowers with a very dark center. It has dark cental spines 0, or 1, 2 to 3 mm long, purple-black in colour. The 14 to 20 radial spines are white with dark purple tips number, straight, closely pectinate, 3 to 6 mm long.
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. albispinus (Lahman) L.D.Benson: This is a form of Echinocereus baileyi with white to delicately pinkish spines, up to 1-2 cm long.
- Echinocereus reichenbachii f. albispinus hort. non Lahman: It is intermediates between Echinocereus baileyi and Echinocereus reichenbachii subsp. caespitosus. It has white neat comb-like short spination. It is one of the smaller Echinocereus species.
- Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. armatus (Poselg. ex Engelm.) N.P.Taylor: This cactus has large, pretty pink flowers with a clearer often greenish center. It has 1 or 2 sharpen, light brown, darkly tipped spines.
- Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. baileyi (Rose) N.P.Taylor: No central spine with about 16 intelacing radials spines, that are bristly spreading and variously coloured, white, yellowish, fox red, brown or pink. Distribution: Oklahoma, Texas.
- Echinocereus reichenbachii f. brevispinum hort.: short spined form.
- Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. caespitosus (Engelm.) W.Blum & Mich.Lange in W.Blum et al.: The so called "caespitosus" is the form found in central Texas. Usually this plants lack central spines and are weakly distinguished from typical "reichenbachii".
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. castaneus (Engelm.) nov. comb. ined.
- Echinocereus reichenbachii f. cristatus hort.: Crested form.
- Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. fitchii (Britton & Rose) N.P.Taylor: has brown central spines, much longer than white radials and large flower, slightly scented, pink-purple with dark burgundy centre. Distribution: Starr, Webb, and Zapadta Co., Texas
- Echinocereus reichenbachii subs. perbellus (Britton & Rose) N.P.Taylor: It has 0-1 central spine, fewer than 20 radials, and elliptic areoles; Range: Colorado, New Mexico, and central Texas.
- Echinocereus reichenbachii var. purpureus (Lahman) D.Parker: intermediate between Echinocereus baileyi and Echinocereus caespitosus, has reddish neat comb-like spines with bright purple flowers. Distribution: Oklhoma
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Edward F. Anderson (2001) “ The Cactus Family”.
2) Curt Backeberg “Cactus Lexicon” Sterling Publishing Company, Incorporated, 1978
3) David Hunt, Nigel Taylor “The New Cactus Lexicon” DH Books, 2006 ISBN 0953813444, 9780953813445
4) Del Weniger “Cacti of the Southwest: Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana” University of Texas Press, 1969
5) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under GlassCambridge University Press, 11/ago/2011
6) Lyman David Benson “The Cacti of the United States and Canada” Stanford University Press, 1982
Echinocereus reichenbachii var. albertii Photo by: Alexander Arzberger
Echinocereus reichenbachii var. albertii Photo by: Cactus Art
Echinocereus reichenbachii var. albertii Photo by: Cactus Art
Echinocereus reichenbachii var. albertii Photo by: Diego Armentano
Cultivation and Propagation: It is sensitive to overwatering (rot prone) needs a very good drainage to avoid rotting, but requires more moisture than true desert cacti to grow and produce flowers, Keep drier and cool in winter. Need full sun. It is very cold resistant from -10° to -25° C (depending on clones) or less for short periods of time. It is a fine plant for a rock garden or container, contrasts well with agaves, yuccas, and low-growing flowering plants.
Propagation: Seeds, also can be grown from cutting as it slowly branches from the base;
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