Echinocereus relictus is a species of hedgehog cactus commonly known as “purple-spined hedgehog cactus”.
Description
Echinocereus relictus forms loose groups consisting of 1 to 45 shoots. The green cylindrical to elongated shoots are 3 to 7.6 centimeters long and have a diameter of 2.1 to 6.5 centimeters. The shoot surface is not completely covered by the spines. There are 11 to 14 ribs that are not clearly tuberculated and crested. The 0 to 4 straight or curved, gray to reddish browncentral spines have a darker tip and are 0.4 to 1 centimeters long. The 10 to 16 spreading, straight, whitish or grayish radial spines are 0.5 to 1.4 centimeters long. The broadly funnel-shaped flowers are rose to magenta. They appear in the upper half of the shoots, are 5 to 9 centimeters long and reach the 3-9 centimeters diameter. The spherical, fleshy, initially green fruits later turn orange red 2-4 cm with reddish white pulp and black seeds. The chromosome count is 2n=22.
The plant was first described in 1969 by L.D.Benson as Echinocereus engelmannii var. purpureus a variety. The plant is distinguished from Echinocereus engelmannii by its different cytology and thinner stems with shorter spines. The specific epithet relictus refers to the species survival in a refugium in northeastern Mojave Desert.