Nichol's turks head cactus in the Sonoran desert, is this a valid taxon? 

In todays episode I traverse pima county Arizona in search of Echinocactus horizonthalonius var. nicholii with a special guest, my buddy Elijah (@sunrise_cactus) as well as do some comparison with the Mexican populations of the genus I've entered whilst traveling though Coahuila, San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas Mexico. I really find myself not agreeing with so much splitting that goes on in taxonomy and as a nascent hobby botanist I am always curious and trying to gain understanding. I thought it was so cool to see these echinocactus that grow side by side with Lophophora in mexico growing with Ferocactus cylindraceus here in the American southwest. I love the Sonoran desert.
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THE QUEST CONTINUES.....