Colorado hookless cactus

Colorado hookless cactus (Sclerocactus glaucus) is a barrel-shaped cactus that ranges from 1.5 to 7 inches. The stems typically have 12 to 15 ribs that extend from the ground to the tip of the plant. The funnel-shaped flowers usually have pink to violet tepals with yellow stamens. The fruit is short, barrel-shaped, reddish or reddish grey when ripe. Colorado hookless cactus are generally found on coarse soils derived from cobble and gravel river and stream terrace deposits, or rocky surfaces on mesa slopes at 1,350 to 1,900 meters in elevation. At the time of the original listing of the Colorado hookless cactus complex, ongoing and foreseeable threats included mineral and energy development, illegal collection, recreational off-road vehicle use, and grazing. The cactus is listed as threatened.