A cylindrical cactus, the Native Barrel Cactus or Fishhook Barrel Cactus sometimes reaches 10 ft. in height and 2 ft. in diameter and is one of our rarest cacti. It is round in its early stages, then oval or cone-shaped, and finally cylindrical. It has 13-25 vertical ribs extending from the bottom to the top of the stem. The tubercles that make up the ribs are pointed. The yellowish-red or purplish-red spines are in groups of 12-20, with 3 or 4 much stronger than the others, 1 1/2-4 inches long. The upper 3 are straight, and the fourth is usually hooked downward and is much heavier than the other 3. The flowers vary in color among shades of yellow, gold, red, and orange, and are about 2 inches long and up to 3 inches across. The petals are short in relation to the width of the center portion. Yellow fruits follow.

Ferocactus wislizeni

AKA Fishhook Cactus