The graham's nipple is usually budding in a cespitose way. The stems are cylindrical to globose. The stems are light green, growing from 3-6 inches in height and 3-4 inches in diameter. The stems have no latex. The tubercles are cylindrical, so they are four-angled (3,4). The radial spines are very dense, hardly showing the light green color underneath. There are about 20-35 stems. They are straight to glabrous and interlacing. They are white, giving them their distinct white coloration. They are about 0.2-0.5 inches long. The central spines come in bundles of 1-4. They are yellowish brown and grow up to 1 inch long. The longest central spines usually form a hook at the end (2,3,4). This plant is unusual to the rest of the same species; the flowers are much larger than others. They grow to a size of 0.3 to 1.0 inches. The flowers are broadly funnel-shaped. They are bright pink to reddish purple. The number of flowers produced depends on the plant's volume (3,4). Its' flowers occur in a 'halo' around the top of stems. These cactuses bloom on and off during the summer rainy season (1). The blooms only last about five days after heavy rain/monsoons (3).
The Graham's nipple cactus originated in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Chihuahua and thrives 1000-5000 feet. They are usually found growing in sparse woodlands. They grow under and with Creosote bush (2,3). The name 'grahmaii' comes from a famous botanist James Duncan Graham. It is named in honor of him (4).
The Graham's nipple cactus is susceptible to some freeze but can tolerate down to 15 F with the right conditions. The Graham's nipple is easily propagated by cutting and seed. Like all the others, these cacti are very susceptible to overwatering and rot (2,3,4).
The landscape value of the Graham's nipple cactus is as a container plant or in a rock or cactus garden. Native American tribes have also used this species of cacti for many years. The fruit has been dried and used as a snack for small children. They have also used the plant as a solution to ear infections. The plant would be boiled, left warmed, and then placed in the ear to relieve pain and infections (4). The fruits have also been used in spiritual rituals. They also have been shown to have hallucinogenic properties (3).
