Bergerocactus

This species is a shrub-like cactus, forming thickets of columnar to prostrate stems. The colonies have a velvety appearance when backlit by the sun. The stems are usually less than long, covered in numerous, interlaced, yellow and needle-like spines. The stems are in diameter, cylindrical, and with 12 to 18 ribs. There are 30 to 45 spines per areole, and most are less than in diameter. There are 1 to 3 central spines, which are curved downward, the longest less than . The radial spines are straight. File:Bergerocactus emoryi 30796037.jpg|A growing stem File:Bergerocactus emoryi 33128251.jpg|Flowers and flower buds File:Bergerocactus emoryi 93230817.jpg|Growing in habitat File:Bergerocactus emoryi 33820754.jpg|The flower File:Bergerocactus emoryi 33128249.jpg|A budding flower File:Golden-spined Cereus 6.jpg|Fruit == Taxonomy ==

The species was first collected in California by John LeConte and Charles Parry and sent to George Engelmann, who published its initial description in 1852 as Cereus emoryi. Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose later established the genus Bergerocactus in 1909. The cactus has a chromosome count of 2n=44. × Pacherocactus orcuttii (K. Brandegee) G.D. Rowley (Orcutt hybrid cactus) A naturally occurring intergeneric hybrid with Pachycereus pringlei, It can grow to a height of about 3.5 m and a diameter of about 10 cm. The cactus does not thrive below 10 °C. Its flowers are green-brown in color and of about 4 cm in size. == Distribution, habitat, and conservation ==

The plant is near-endemic to Baja California, with the exception of populations on Santa Catalina Island, San Clemente Island, and San Diego, California at elevations from 30 up to approximately 60 meters. The populations remaining in San Diego are disjunct, located in Border Field State Park, Torrey Pines State Park, and Cabrillo National Monument, as the urban development in San Diego has relegated many species to these protected areas. Other rare species that inhabit these enclaves of maritime succulent scrub in San Diego include Rosa minutifolia, Aesculus parryi, Echinocereus ferreirianus, Cochemiea dioica, Cylindropuntia prolifera, Cylindropuntia cholla, Opuntia oricola, Shaw's Agave, the Torrey Pine, the Tapertip liveforever, cliff spurge, and the San Diego barrel cactus. Aside from urban development, the plant is also threatened by collecting and feral goats. The species is represented on two of the southern California Channel Islands. On San Clemente Island, the golden cactus is found inhabiting rocky canyon walls. In Baja California, the species continues from the border south into the succulent scrub to El Rosario. File:Golden-spined Cereus 5.jpg|Habitat in San Diego, California File:Bergerocactus emoryi 5.jpg|Plants growing in maritime scrub in San Diego, California File:Bergerocactus emoryi 3.jpg|Plants growing on San Clemente Island == References ==