Sclerocactus mesae-verdae

Mesa Verde cactus

Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Sclerocactus
Species:
S. mesae-verdae
Binomial name
Sclerocactus mesae-verdae
(Boissev. & C. Davidson) L.D. Benson 1966
Synonyms
  • Coloradoa mesae-verdae Boissev. & C. Davidson
  • Echinocactus mesa-verdae (Boissev. & C. Davidson) L.D. Benson
  • Ferocactus mesa-verdae (Boissev. & C. Davidson) N.P. Taylor
  • Pediocactus mesae-verdae (Boissev. & C. Davidson) Arp

Sclerocactus mesae-verdae, the Mesa Verde cactus or Mesa Verde fishhook cactus, is a species of cactus native to northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado. It is known only from Montezuma County (Colorado) and San Juan County (New Mexico). Much of the New Mexico part of the range lies inside land controlled by the Navajo Nation. The Colorado populations lie close to Mesa Verde National Park.