''Echinocactus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

cacti A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

in the subfamily

Cactoideae The Cactoideae are the largest subfamily of the cactus family, Cactaceae, and are widely distributed throughout the Americas. Cactaceae is the 5th most endangered plant or animal family evaluated globally by the International Union for Conservati ...

. The generic name derives from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

ἐχῖνος (''echînos''), meaning "spiny," and ''cactus''. It and ''

Ferocactus ''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. Description The y ...

'' are the two genera of

barrel cactus Barrel cacti are various members of the two genera '' Echinocactus'' and '' Ferocactus'', endemic to the deserts of Southwestern North America southward to north central Mexico. Some of the largest specimens are found in the Sonoran Desert. Des ...

. Members of the genus usually have heavy spination and relatively small flowers. The fruits are copiously woolly, and this is one major distinction between ''Echinocactus'' and ''Ferocactus''. Propagation is by seed.

Species

As of 2025, the genus includes 3 accepted species out of hundreds of plants having the name.

Formerly placed here

*''

Astrophytum asterias ''Astrophytum asterias'' is a species of cactus in the genus ''Astrophytum'', and is native to small parts of Texas in the United States and Mexico. Common names include sand dollar cactus, sea urchin cactus, star cactus and star peyote. Descr ...

'' (Zucc.) Lem. (as ''E. asterias'' Zucc.) *''

Aztekium ritteri ''Aztekium ritteri'' is a species of cactus native to the Mexican state of Nuevo León. Description ''Aztekium ritteri'' initially grows singly globe-shaped, flattened stem, 2-6 cm in diameter and 3 cm high, with grayish green to olive-green, a ...

'' (Boed.) Boed. (as ''E. ritteri'' Boed.) *''

Kroenleinia grusonii ''Kroenleinia grusonii'', popularly known as the golden barrel cactus, golden ball, "mother-in-law's cushion" or "mother-in-law’s chair", is a species of barrel cactus which is endemic to east-central Mexico. The golden barrel cactus is rare ...

'' (Hildm.) Lodé (as ''E. grusonii'' Hildm.) *''

Ferocactus wislizeni ''Ferocactus wislizeni'', the fishhook barrel cactus, also called Arizona barrel cactus, candy barrel cactus, and Southwestern barrel cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae, native to northern Mexico and the southe ...

'' (Engelm.) Britton & Rose (as ''E. wislizeni'' Engelm.) *''

Lophophora williamsii The peyote (; ''Lophophora williamsii'' ) is a small, spineless cactus which contains Psychoactive cactus, psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline. is a Spanish word derived from the Nahuatl (), meaning "caterpillar Pupa#Cocoon, cocoon" ...

'' (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) J.M.Coult. (as ''E. williamsii'' Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) *'' Turbinicarpus subterraneus'' (Backeb.) A.D.Zimm. (''as E. subterraneus'' Backeb.) Also see

Homalocephala (plant) ''Homalocephala'' is a genus of plants native to Mexico and the United States. At one point, it was considered to be part of ''Echinocactus''. Species , Plants of the World Online accepts three species: References * Innes C, Wall B (1995 ...

References

* Innes C, Wall B (1995). ''Cacti, Succulents and Bromeliads''. Cassell & The Royal Horticultural Society.

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment: ''Echinocactus''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q133014 Cacti of Mexico Cacti of the United States Cactoideae genera