Sclerocactus

The 19 species of Sclerocactus, which are sometimes called little barrels, have at least one hooked central spine. (All cacti with such curved spines may be called fishhook cacti, including some species of Ferocactus.) The flowers are mainly pink, yellow, and cream. The Mojave fishhook cactus (S. polyancistrus) is…

…small cacti of the genera Sclerocactus and Mammillaria but also to species from other genera, such as Ferocactus (see barrel cactus). Some of their hooked spines are strong enough to have been used as actual fishing hooks by indigenous and local peoples throughout the Americas.