Ferocactus hamatacanthus is a spherical cactus that belongs to the family Cactaceae. It is commonly known as Turk's Head due to its hooked spines. It can be identified by its funnel-shaped flowers, spiny areoles, and prominent ribs.
Ferocactus hamatacanthus can be found across a broad area spanning the Chihuahuan Desert in northwestern Mexico and in regions of southwestern Texas and New Mexico. It has dozens of common names, including Turk's Head Cactus, Texas Barrel Cactus, and Giant Fishhook Cactus.
Thus cactus typically grows as a solitary cactus with a globular or oblong shape, reaching up to 24 inches (60 cm) in height. It has around 13 ribs, sometimes up to 17, that are highly tubercled and measure 0.8-1.2 inches (2-3 cm) in height. The plant's areoles are spaced apart by 0.4-1.2 inches (1-3 cm) and bear 12 radial spines that are acicular and terete and range from 2-2.8 (5-7 cm) in length.
It also has 4 central spines, one of which is hooked at the tip and can reach up to 6 inches (15 cm) in length. The cactus produces large, yellow flowers with scarlet inner coloring, measuring 2.8-3.1 inches (7-8 cm) in diameter. Its oblong fruit is edible and around 0.8-2 inches (2-5 cm) in length, with a dark brown to drab color and pitted seeds.
