Echinocereus cinerascens

This specie’s name derives from latin and it refers to the grayish color similar to ash of the ferocious thorns. It is a marvelous columnar cacti with a slender stem that does not exceed 30 cm in height but tends to bud abundantly, surrounding itself with small numerous basal suckers. The bright light green body is prone to take peculiar red shades under the sun. It has slightly pronounced ribs and evident asymmetrical tubercles, at the apex of which, from small rounded whitish areolas, emerge thin and straight radial thorns and robust gray central thorns, needle-like and turned outwards for a length of more than 4 cm! In spring the charm of this cactacea is enhanced by giant funnel shaped flowers, tinted in pink-purple with a white-yellowish throat. Its flowers are extremely showy and ornamental.