Echinocereus fendleri 'rectispinus'

This interesting form of Echinocereus fendleri I found in Tonto basin - the large valley NE of Phoenix AZ. The plants look like loosely clumped Echinocereus coccineus, but flowers give away their true identity.
Echinocereus engelmannii relatives - a group that include E.fendleri - is an interesting set of plants that could serve as a good specialized collection material. The plants are similar but different, and range of variability is great n that group.
Note the asymmetrical flower shape characteristic for this group. Unless flower tube points straight up, the bottom petals will always be half-open, making a cup of sort. This cup shape prevents the precious pollen from getting spilled to the ground.Cacti are know to produce small compare to other plants amount of pollen, preserving the plant's resources this way.