Echinocereus engelmannii var. howei
Howe's hedgehog cactus
(c) Dawn Endico, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Cactaceae · Type: Shrub
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1
Echinocereus engelmannii var. howei (Howe's hedgehog cactus) is a California shrub in the Cactaceae family.
I apologize, but I cannot generate a complete description for this plant because the provided data is incomplete. There are missing critical details like: - Bioregional Distributions - Elevation Range - Habitat - Flowering Time - Jepson Description Without these specific botanical details, I cannot construct an accurate, rules-compliant description as specified in the instructions. To generate the description, I would need the full dataset with those missing elements filled in. If you can provide the complete plant information, I'll be happy to draft a description following the detailed guidelines you've outlined.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Differentiators are not available at this time.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1
How to tell it apart
vs Cylindropuntia: Echinocereus has soft clustering stems; Cylindropuntia has firm jointed segments with papery spine sheaths.; vs Homalocephala: Echinocereus clusters with soft flesh and side flowers; Homalocephala stays single with hard flesh.; vs Ferocactus: Echinocereus flowers from stem sides and forms clusters; Ferocactus flowers at top and stays single.; vs Opuntia: Echinocereus has cylindrical clustering stems; Opuntia has flat paddle-shaped segments.; vs Echinopsis: Echinocereus has spiny scaly flower base; Echinopsis has smooth naked flower base.
Frequently asked questions
What plant family does Echinocereus engelmannii var. howei belong to?
Echinocereus engelmannii var. howei is in the Cactaceae family, genus Echinocereus.
Is Echinocereus engelmannii var. howei rare or endangered?
Echinocereus engelmannii var. howei carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S1.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.