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buck-horn cholla

Davis cholla, thistle cholla

Habit Trees or shrubs, sparsely to densely branched, 1–2(–4) m. Stem segments firmly attached, cylindric, 10–30(–50) × 2–2.5(–3) cm; tubercles prominent, narrow to broad, 1.5–4.5 cm; areoles elliptic to subcircular, 4–5.5 × 4–5 mm; wool white or yellowish to tan, aging gray-black. Shrubs, densely branched, 0.2–0.6 m; roots with elongate, tuberlike swellings.
Stem

segments easily detached, whorled, obscuring trunks, light green, 4–6 × 0.8–1.2 cm;

tubercles prominent, 1–2 cm;

areoles subcircular, 2–3.5 mm in diam.;

wool tan.

Spines

6–20(–30+) per areole, often accompanied by 0–5 short bristlelike spines at areole margins, usually in distal areoles;

major abaxial spines deflexed to divergent, subterete to flattened;

major adaxial spines ascending-divergent, terete, yellow or tan to deep red-brown, aging gray, the central spine longest, 12–30(–38) mm;

sheaths white to grayish with yellow to golden tips, baggy to tight fitting.

7–13(–21) per areole, at most areoles, spreading, obscuring stems, yellow- to red-brown to nearly black, tipped yellow, subterete to angularly flattened, the longest 1.5–5 cm;

sheaths loose fitting, ± yellow to tan, 1.5–2 mm diam.

Glochids

in inconspicuous to small adaxial tuft, yellow to brown, 0.5–2 mm.

in adaxial tuft, yellow, 2–4 mm.

Flowers

inner tepals bright yellow to bronze to brick red, spatulate, 20–30 mm, apiculate-emarginate;

filaments red;

anthers yellow;

style and stigma lobes white to light green.

inner tepals yellow-green, tinged purple-red, aging reddish brown or bronze, spatulate, 15 mm, apiculate;

filaments pale green basally to purplish distally;

anthers orange-yellow;

style cream to pale green, sometimes faint purple-pink distally;

stigma lobes very pale green.

Fruits

tan at maturity, obconic to ellipsoid, 15–35 × 15–20 mm, dry, tuberculate, densely to sparsely spiny (rarely spineless), with apical flange above shallow umbilicus;

basal tubercles longest;

areoles 12–30.

usually sterile, often in chains of 2, yellow, top-shaped, 20–30 × 10–20 mm, pulpy, tuberculate, spineless (rarely few-spined);

tubercles subequal;

umbilicus 5–8 mm deep;

areoles 20–35.

Seeds

pale yellow to tan, angular or squarish in outline, warped, 3.5–5 × 3–4.5 mm, sides smooth, each with 2–4 large depressions;

girdle smooth.

, when present, yellow-tan, subcircular, flattened, 3 mm diam., sides smooth;

girdle narrow, not protruding.

2n

= 22, 44 (one count).

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa

Cylindropuntia davisii

Phenology Flowering late spring (May–Jun).
Habitat Grasslands, oak-juniper-mesquite woodlands, plains or slopes, sandy to loamy soils
Elevation 600-1500 m (2000-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM; OK; TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa hybridizes with C. abyssi, C. echinocarpa (= C. ×deserta), C. bigelovii (= C. ×campii), C. leptocaulis (see C. ×tetracantha), C. ×multigeniculata, C. spinosior, C. versicolor, and C. whipplei (= C. congesta). Hybrids of C. acanthocarpa and C. ×multigeniculata are more open in habit, with longer stem segments than C. ×multigeniculata and with reddish filaments like C. acanthocarpa.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Tubercles 2.5-4.5 cm, broad; stem segments gray-green; spines of adjacent areoles not or barely interlaced, 6-11(-14) per areole; fruits bearing few spines or sometimes spineless
var. thornbe
1. Tubercles (1-)1.5-2.5(-3) cm, broad to narrow; stem segments green to yellow-green; spines of adjacent areoles interlaced; fruits densely spiny, sometimes burlike
→ 2
2. Abaxial 5-7 spines deflexed, usually subparallel, whitish to light brown; tubercles broad, oval; shrubs with few, ascending branches
var. acantho
2. Abaxial (14-)18-30+ spines deflexed to divergent, spreading, pale yellow to red-brown; tubercles narrowly elliptic; shrubs with few to many, spreading branches
→ 3
3. Branches usually at acute angles; stem segments yellowish green, usually long, commonly 15-30 cm; spines 18-30+, yellow to tan, sheaths baggy; inner tepals yellow
var. colorad
3. Branches usually at obtuse angles; stem segments green to dark green, usually short, commonly 8 -20 cm; spines 14-18(-23) per areole, yellow or red-brown, sheaths tight; inner tepals yellow to bronze to brick red
var. major
Source FNA vol. 4. FNA vol. 4, p. 111.
Parent taxa Cactaceae > subfam. Opuntioideae > Cylindropuntia Cactaceae > subfam. Opuntioideae > Cylindropuntia
Sibling taxa
C. abyssi, C. arbuscula, C. bigelovii, C. californica, C. davisii, C. echinocarpa, C. fulgida, C. ganderi, C. imbricata, C. kleiniae, C. leptocaulis, C. munzii, C. prolifera, C. ramosissima, C. spinosior, C. tunicata, C. versicolor, C. whipplei, C. wolfii, C. ×kelvinensis, C. ×tetracantha
C. abyssi, C. acanthocarpa, C. arbuscula, C. bigelovii, C. californica, C. echinocarpa, C. fulgida, C. ganderi, C. imbricata, C. kleiniae, C. leptocaulis, C. munzii, C. prolifera, C. ramosissima, C. spinosior, C. tunicata, C. versicolor, C. whipplei, C. wolfii, C. ×kelvinensis, C. ×tetracantha
Subordinate taxa
C. acanthocarpa var. acantho, C. acanthocarpa var. colorad, C. acanthocarpa var. major, C. acanthocarpa var. thornbe
Synonyms Opuntia acanthocarpa Opuntia davisii, Opuntia tunicata var. davisii
Name authority (Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow) F. M. Knuth: in C. Backeberg and F. M. Knuth, Kaktus-ABC, 124. (1935) (Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow) F. M. Knuth: in C. Backeberg and F. M. Knuth, Kaktus-ABC, 124. (1935)
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