Escobaria sneedii

Pelecyphora sneedii (syn. Coryphantha sneedii) is a rare species of cactus known by the common names Sneed's pincushion cactus and carpet foxtail cactus. It is endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is a small, variable cactus with a lengthy taxonomic history, and is often subdivided into a number of subspecies or varieties. It is usually found on steep, rocky habitats, primarily of limestone geology, in desert scrub or coniferous forest. A species of conservation concern, P. sneedii faces threats from poaching, urban encroachment, and wildfires. The former cacti species Coryphantha orcuttii has been lumped into sneedii as a subspecies. P. sneedii also intergrades with Pelecyphora vivipara, further complicating classification. Because of the variation and intergradation of P. sneedii, it forms a species complex....read more on Wikipedia.