Sclerocactus whipplei, or Whipple's fishhook cactus, is a cactus (family Cactaceae) found in the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region of the southwestern United States.Canyon Country Wildflowers, Damian Fagan, 2nd ed., 2012, Morris Bush Publishing, LLC. in cooperation with Canyonlands Natural History Association,
The cactus was named in honor of Lieut. Amiel Weeks Whipple (1818-1863) the military engineer/surveyor, who led boundary survey team that identified the cactus specimen.
It typically grows in arid desert environments, often in sandy or rocky soils where drainage is good.
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