Epithelantha micromeris
(Engelm.) F. A. C. Weber ex Britton & Rose
Common button cactus
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Curren Frasch, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Curren Frasch
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Curren Frasch, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Curren Frasch
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Don Verser, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Don Verser
Summary
Source: WikipediaEpithelantha micromeris is a button cactus in the genus Epithelantha, found in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and northeast Mexico. It is characterized by its white-grey spines growing on a globular shaped stem. The density of its white spines give it the illusion of being completely grey, making it very difficult to see the green color beneath. It grows to be 1–5 cm tall, and roughly 2–4 cm in diameter. E. micromeris produces small, pink-white flowers, often considered to be some of the smallest of the cacti. These flowers give way to a bright red, cylindrical fruit which contains several black seeds and also is edible.
Description
A cactus. It usually does not have branches. It is ashy grey and rough. The stems are short and cylinder shaped. They are 1-4 cm across. There are 20-35 spines in each section.
Edible Uses
The fruit is edible.
Distribution
It is a warm temperate plant.
Where It Grows
North America, USA,
Notes
Wikipedia claims fruit of all Epithelantha species are edible.
Synonyms
References (1)
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
