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Nye pincushion cactus, Sclerocactus nyensis, Nevada, Montezuma Range, Clayton Valley drainage, elevation 1626 m (5335 ft).

In this rhyolite tuff gravel habitat, the stems stay mostly buried, which helps insulate them from heat and cold. As the stems expand with water uptake, they temporarily shed some of the gravel, allowing more direct sun to reach their photosynthetic tissues.