CoronaCactus Nursery: Plant of the Month

Synonyms: Escobaria sneedii, Coryphantha sneedii, Mammillaria sneedii, Coryphantha sneedii var. sneedii, Escobaria sneedii var. sneedii, Coryphantha pygmaea

Form: Its endemic habitat is the western tip of the Trans-Pecos in Texas and into adjacent New Mexico. Limestone crevices usually on steep south facing slopes with desert scrub. Grows along with E. tuberculosa. Escobaria sneedii ssp. sneedii is a small very cespitose globose to cylindrical cactus that forms large clusters up to 100 or more stems. In most cases there are 3-5 stems that are much larger, while the rest are small immature type stems. Stems are globose when young and become more cylindrical with age. The stems are covered in dense bristly white spines, some with dark brown to reddish-brown tips

Size: Typically growing to around 1 to 5� tall and �� to 1� in diameter. But cultivated plants can reach larger sizes. Eventually forming massive clusters of many stems.

Flowers/Fruit: The flowers of Escobaria sneedii ssp. sneedii are small funnel like white & pink and grow from the apex of the stem. They do not open very widely, but can come in great numbers. The fruit are green when mature, and usually hidden in the spines. But if exposed, they can fade to a brownish-pink.� ��

Sun/Water: Escobaria sneedii ssp. sneedii can take full sun. The more the better! The green epidermis should be only barely visible through the spines. Water moderately in the summer, however, if they are exposed to intense heat, they may go into a short dormancy which would require holding back on the water during that time.

Propagation: Seed or offsets. Easy to grow from seed. �

Books/Websites: Some excellent information can be found in the books: Cacti of Texas A Field Guide by Powell, Weedin and Powell 2008 and Cacti of the Trans-Pecos and Adjacent Areas by Powell and Weedin 2004. Some great information can also be found on this German Website The Genus Escobaria Etc.

More websites can be found on our Reference Links page.

Subspecies within Escobaria sneedii Britton and Rose 1923

There are quite a few subspecies of E. sneedii. Most of which occur in Texas, but some also reach out to New Mexico, Arizona and down into Mexico.

ssp. albicolumnaria (Hester) J. M. Luethy 1999

ssp. guadalupensis comb. provisorum

ssp. leei (Rose ex Boedeker) D. R. Hunt 1997

ssp. orcuttii (Boedeker) J. M. Luethy 1999

ssp. organensis (D. A. Zimmerman) J. M. Luethy 1999

ssp. sandbergii (Castetter, P. Pierce et K. H. Schwerin) J. M. Luethy 1999

ssp. villardii (Castetter, P. Pierce et K. H. Schwerin) J. M. Luethy 1999

(type specie) ssp. sneedii D.R. Hunt 1997

E. sneedii ssp. albicolumnaria (Hester) J. M. Luethy 1999

Synonyms: Escobaria albicolumnaria, Escobesseya albicolumnaria, Mammillaria albicolumnaria, Coryphantha albicolumnaria, Coryphantha sneedii var. albicolumnaria. Escobaria tuberculosa var. durispina, Coryphantha strobiliformis var. durispina, Escobaria strobiliformis var. durispina

Characterized by its taller stem densely covered in bristly white spines. 2.5� to 8� tall, 1� to 2.25� in diameter. Usually solitary, but mature plants can have 2-5 stems. Older plants can form clusters up to 25 stems.

Grows in mostly limestone, rocky-gravelly slopes and rocky outcrops. Lower Big Bend near the Rio Grande, Texas @ 1850-4450ft.

E. sneedii �ssp. albicolumnaria

Photo: Bruno M. (BCSS)

E. sneedii ssp. guadalupensis comb. provisorum

Synonyms: Escobaria guadalupensis, Coryphantha sneedii var. guadalupensis

Similar to the largest mature stems of ssp. sneedii. Usually solitary or in small clumps of 2-3 or more stems.

Grows mostly on south facing steep limestone slopes on the highest peaks of the Guadalupe Mountains,

Culberson Co., Texas, 4500 � 8700ft.

Photo: PeterB (CactiGuide)

15 month old seedlings

From the plant pictured above.

Photo from July 21, 2009

15 month old seedlings

From the plant pictured above.

Photo from July 21, 2009

The same seedling @ 16 months old. Starting to show some brownish color to the spines.

Photo from August 25, 2009

E. sneedii ssp. leei (Rose ex Boedeker) D. R. Hunt 1997

Synonyms: Escobaria leei, Coryphantha sneedii var. leei, Mammillaria leei, Escobaria sneedii var. leei

Distinguished by its small stem size and its ability to profusely offset, forming massive clumps of 200 or more stems.

Limestone outcrops, north facing slopes often dominated by lechuguilla. NE end of the Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Eddy Co., NM (type location) and into the Trans Pecos, Texas @ 3750 � 5500ft.

Photo: TimN (CactiGuide)

Photo: GeneS (CactiGuide)

Photo: PeterB (CactiGuide)

Habitat photo from Carlsbad Caverns, NM

Photo: Vic (BCSS)

Mature fruit

Habitat photo from Carlsbad Caverns, NM

Photo: Vic (BCSS)

E. sneedii ssp. leei �seedlings @ 13 months old and already one has started to offset.

Photo from May 18, 2009

The same �seedling @ 13 months old.

Photo from May 18, 2009

The same �seedling @ 15 months old.

Photo from July 21, 2009

The same �seedling @ 15 months old.

Photo from July 21, 2009

The same �seedling @ 16 months old.

Photo from August 25, 2009

The same �seedling @ 16 months old.

Photo from August 25, 2009

Photo: David L. (BCSS)

SB397 Eddy Co., NM

Photo: David L. (BCSS)

Photo: S�leyman (CactiGuide)

A pair of E. sneedii ssp. leei �plants. Small enough for 2� pots, but large enough to flower and offset!

Photo: S�leyman (CactiGuide)

E. sneedii ssp. orcuttii (Boedeker) J. M. Luethy 1999

Synonyms: Escobaria orcutti, Neolloydia orcutti, Coryphantha orcutti, Coryphantha strobiliformis var. orcutti, Coryphantha sneedii var. orcutti, Escobaria orcutti var. koenigii, Escobaria orcutti var. macraxina

Usually solitary or sometimes branching. Typically 6� tall to 3.5� in diameter.

Grasslands in southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.

Photo: Bruno M. (BCSS)

Photo: Dennis (BCSS)

E. sneedii �ssp. orcutti �koenigii

Photo: PeterB (CactiGuide)

Found only in Luna Co., New Mexico @ 4900ft.

E. sneedii �ssp. orcutti �koenigii

Photo: PeterB (CactiGuide)

Found only in Luna Co., New Mexico @ 4900ft.

E. sneedii �ssp. orcutti �koenigii

15 month old seedling from the plant pictured above.

Photo from July 21, 2009

E. sneedii �ssp. orcutti �koenigii

The same �seedling @ 16 months old.

Photo from August 25, 2009

E. sneedii �ssp. orcutti �macraxina

Photo: S�leyman (CactiGuide)

SB372 Found in southeastern Hidalgo Co.,

�New Mexico above 6600ft.

E. sneedii �ssp. orcutti �macraxina

Photo: S�leyman (CactiGuide)

SB372 Found in southeastern Hidalgo Co.,

�New Mexico above 6600ft.

E. sneedii �ssp. orcutti �macraxina

Photo: David L. (BCSS)

Found in southeastern Hidalgo Co., New Mexico

Above 6600ft.

E. sneedii ssp. organensis (Boedeker) J. M. Luethy 1999

Synonyms: Escobaria organensis, Coryphantha organensis, Coryphantha sneedii var. organensis

Growing in clusters or mounds with as many as 50 or more stems. 5� tall to 1.5� in diameter.

Organ Mountains, Do�a Ana Co., New Mexico @ 6600 � 7900ft.

E. sneedii �ssp. organensis

Photo: PeterB (CactiGuide)

E. sneedii �ssp. organensis

Photo: PeterB (CactiGuide)

E. sneedii �ssp. organensis

Photo: PeterB (CactiGuide)

E. sneedii ssp. sandbergii (Castetter, P. Pierce et K. H. Schwerin) J. M. Luethy 1999

Synonyms: Escobaria sandbergii, Coryphantha sneedii var. sandbergii

Growing in clusters or mounds with as many as 20 or more stems. 2 - 5� tall to 1.5 - 3� in diameter.

San Andres Mountains, New Mexico @ 5900 � 7500ft.

Photo: Ian N. (BCSS/CactiGuide)

E. sneedii ssp. villardii (Castetter, P. Pierce et K. H. Schwerin) J. M. Luethy 1999

Synonyms: Escobaria villardii, Coryphantha sneedii var. villardii

Growing in clumps of as many as 11 stems. 2.5 � 6� tall to 1.5 � 2.5� in diameter.

Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico.

Sorry, no photos available.

E. sneedii ssp. sneedii D.R. Hunt 1997

Synonyms: Escobaria sneedii, Coryphantha sneedii, Mammillaria sneedii, Coryphantha sneedii var. sneedii, Escobaria sneedii var. sneedii, Coryphantha pygmaea