Sclerocactus polyancistrus

Mojave fishhook cactus

Family: Cactaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Mojave fishhook cactus is a native perennial ranked 4.2 by CNPS, found in western and Inyo Mountains and Mojave Desert bioregions in limestone areas, hills, canyons, and alluvial slopes within creosote-bush scrub and Joshua-tree woodland at elevations of 750 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from April to June, this cactus produces rose-purple to magenta flowers with distinctive curved spines. Growing 10 to 45 centimeters tall with 13 to 17 prominent ribs, it features dramatic white, red, and dark red-brown spines that curve dramatically like fishhooks. Its spines are particularly striking, with 10 to 15 radial white spines per areole and central spines up to 10 centimeters long that hook in complex patterns. The fruit is a rounded capsule 20 to 30 millimeters long with narrow, delicately ciliate scales near its tip.

Habitat: Limestone areas, hills and canyons, alluvial slopes; creosote-bush scrub, Joshua-tree woodland

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 750-2100 m

Bioregions: W&ampI, DMoj

California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Mono

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