Sclerocactus polyancistrus flower in close-up

Sclerocactus polyancistrus habitat in Death Valley

Sclerocactus polyancistrus in habitat 

 

 

The image for the cover of the printed edition of Northants News (above) was taken in California's Death Valley National Park with flowering Sclerocactus polyancistrus and Echinocereus engelmannii on the same hill. There were also a few deep pink blooms on the beavertail cactus, Opuntia basilaris which had mostly flowered a few weeks earlier. All these species will share pollinators. The green stigma lobes quickly distinguish the Echinocereus flowers from the Sclerocactus, (but probably not to a bee).

Flowering Echinocereus engelmannii

Sclerocactus polyancistrus flowers

 

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