Mammillaria grahamii var. grahamii

Graham's fishhook cactus

Family: Cactaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Graham's fishhook cactus is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in the northeastern Sonoran Desert in southeastern San Bernardino County, growing in sandy or rocky canyons and creosote-bush scrub at elevations of 300 to 900 meters. Flowering in April, this cactus produces flowers 15 to 25 millimeters long with inner perianth parts ranging from 9 to 16, creating delicate white to pink blossoms. Growing as a compact spheric to cylindric plant 7 to 15 centimeters tall and 4 to 7 centimeters in diameter, it forms clusters of several stems with a firm texture. Its distinctive spines include 1 to 2 central spines per areole, with at least one spine characteristically hooked, surrounded by 17 to 28 radial spines 6 to 12 millimeters long. The fruit develops into a long club-shaped structure 12 to 25 millimeters in length, creating an intricate structural display in its desert habitat.

Habitat: Sandy or rocky canyons, washes, plains, creosote-bush scrub

Bloom period: Apr

Elevation: 300-900 m

Bioregions: ne DSon (se San Bernardino Co.)

California counties: San Bernardino

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.