Cylindropuntia echinocarpa

Cylindropuntia echinocarpa
Cylindropuntia echinocarpa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Cylindropuntia
Species: C. echinocarpa
Binomial name
Cylindropuntia echinocarpa
(Engelm. & Bigelow) F.M.Knuth
Synonyms

Opuntia echinocarpa
Opuntia wigginsii

Cylindropuntia echinocarpa is a species of cactus known by the common names Silver cholla, Golden cholla, and Wiggins' cholla.

Distribution

Cylindropuntia echinocarpa is native to the Southwestern United States, where it can be found the Sonoran Desert, the Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert in California, and other deserts.

Description

Cylindropuntia echinocarpa is a large treelike cactus known to well exceed two meters in height. Its stem and branches are made up of cylindrical segments, the surface arranged in green tubercles up to 1.5 centimeters wide and just under a centimeter tall. The fleshy tubercles each bear up to 20 long, straight grayish or yellowish spines which may be nearly 4 centimeters long. The flower is usually greenish yellow, sometimes pinkish or brownish in color. The is a bumpy, spiny tan fruit is up to 2 centimeters long and has a scent reminiscent of rancid butter.

External links

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