Taxon Report

Sclerocactus polyancistrus (Engelm. & Bigel.) Britt. & Rose

Mojave fish-hook cactus

Print Report



  Classification

Scientific Name:
Sclerocactus polyancistrus (Engelm. & Bigel.) Britt. & Rose
Common Name:
Mojave fish-hook cactus
Family: Cactaceae
Element Code: PDCAC0J050
USDA Plants Symbol: SCPO4
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial stem
Blooming Period: Apr-Jul Apr-Jul
Elevation: 640-2320 (2100-7610)
General Habitats: Great Basin scrub, Joshua tree "woodland", Mojavean desert scrub
Microhabitat: Carbonate (usually)
Microhabitat Details:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 0
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 0
   Fair (C) 0
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 0
California Endemic:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY), Kern (KRN), San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Barstow (3411781), Blackwater Well (3511733), Cantil (3511738), Cerro Gordo Peak (3611757), China Gardens (3611725), Chloride City (3611668), Chocolate Mtn. (3711748), Cinco (3511831), Coso Peak (3611726), Cowhorn Valley (3711821), Coyote Lake (3511617), Cuddeback Lake (3511734), Daylight Pass (3611678), Eagle Crags (3511741), East of Waucoba Spring (3711717), El Paso Peaks (3511746), Hanging Rock Canyon (3711726), Helendale (3411763), Hinkley (3411782), Hodge (3411772), Inyokern Se (3511757), Keeler (3611747), Kramer Hills (3411784), Lane Mountain (3511618), Last Chance Mtn. (3711736), Last Chance Range SE (3711715), Last Chance Range SW (3711716), Louisiana Butte (3611715), Maturango Peak (3611714), Mountain Springs Canyon (3511785), Nova Canyon (3611733), Panamint (3611711), Panamint Butte (3611743), Petroglyph Canyon (3611716), Pilot Knob (3511742), Saline Peak (3611786), Saltdale NW (3511748), Sand Spring (3711725), Santa Rosa Flat (3611746), Slocum Mtn. (3511732), Stewart Valley (3611622), Superior Valley (3511731), Talc City Hills (3611736), Thimble Peak (3611771), Tinemaha Reservoir (3711812), Twelve Gauge Lake (3411783), Ubehebe Peak (3611765), Uhlmeyer Spring (3711822), Victorville (3411753), Waucoba Canyon (3611788), Waucoba Mtn. (3711811), Waucoba Spring (3711718), White Top Mtn. (3611774), Wild Crossing (3411773)

Notes

Does not usually survive transplanting. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 3:272 (1856) for original description, Cactus and Succulent Journal 51:228-232 (1979) for ecological information, and Fremontia 10(4):23-24 (1983) for species account.
Threats:
Threatened by horticultural collecting, herbivory by insects, and vehicles. Possibly threatened by grazing and development.
Taxonomy:
Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 8 January 2025].