| any of various rounded, usually spiny cacti of the genus Echinocereus, of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, having bell-shaped flowers that close at night. |
| hedgehog cactus n. Any of various cacti in the genus Echinocereus, having rounded spiny stems and often funnel-shaped purple or red flowers. |
hedgehog cactus
any of about 50 species of the family Cactaceae, native from central Mexico to the western United States. The common name hedgehog refers to the spiny fruit. Hedgehog cacti are cylindroid, usually many-headed, and often soft-bodied. The spine-bearing tubercles are joined to one another and form ribs. The flowers generally have green stigma lobes. The fruit is fleshy and often delicious.
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