Passion of the Desert

My wife and I came across this in the desert. One of those awesome little eye-poppers. Scientific name: Echinocereus fasciculatus COMMON names are Magenta- flower hedgehog, pinkflower hedgehog cactus, strawberry cactus, bundle hedgehog, and robust hedgehog cactus. Info I found on an AZ Dept.of Game and Fish website: Perennial succulent, 5-30 branched stems, forming somewhat open clumps; the tissue is firm not flabby. Stems are mostly erect and cylindric. Flowers measure 6-10 X 8-10 cm. The sepals are rose-pink to magenta, and the anthers are yellow. Ranges from northern AZ to northern Mexico - one of the EARLIEST cactus to bloom in central Arizona. Photo taken near Roosevelt Lake in Arizona (04-16-2008)