Barrel cactus, Fish-hook cactus
Ferocactus cylindraceus

Family: Cactaceae

What it is like

A cactus. It occurs singly. The stems are oval and become cylinder shaped. They are 3 m tall and 80 cm across. There are 13-27 ribs. The spine spots are about 2 cm apart. There are 9-13 reddish spines which radiate out. These are 4 cm long. There are 1-4 spines in the centre. These are 12 cm long. The flowers are yellow or orange. They are about 5 cm long. The fruit are round and yellow and 3 cm long.

There are about 29-35 Ferocactus species.

Where it is found

It is a Mediterranean climate plant. Desert. It needs a sunny site. It needs a temperature above 10°C. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Mexico, North America, USA

How it is used for food

The seeds are eaten roasted. They are also ground into a meal. The fruit are eaten raw, dried or made into syrup. The syrup is also fermented into an alcoholic drink. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. The sap from the stem is scooped out and the juice squeezed out. The pulp of the stem is used to make cactus candy.

Edible parts

Seeds, sap, fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Viznagas

Synonyms

Echinocactus acanthodes Lem.; Ferocactus acanthodes (Lemaire) Britton & Rose; Echinocactus viridescens var. cylindraceus Engelmann; Echinocactus cylindraceus (Engel.) Engel.; Echinocactus lecontei Engel.; Ferocactus lecontei (Engel.) Britton & Rose; Ferocactus acanthodes var. lecontei (Engel.) G.E. Lindsay; Ferocactus cylindraceus var. lecontei (Engel.) Bravo; Ferocactus cylindraceus subsp. lecontei (Engel.) N.P. Taylor; Ferocactus rostii Britton & Rose; Ferocactus acanthodes var. rostei (Britton & Rose) W.T. Marshall & Bock; Echinocactus hertrichii Weinberg; Ferocactus tortilispinus H.E. Gates; Ferocactus acanthodes var. tortulispinus (H.E. Gates) G.E. Lindsay; Ferocactus cylindraceus var. torulispinus (G.E. Gates) Bravo; Ferocactus cylindraceus subsp. torulispinus (H.E. Gates) N.P. Taylor;