Cylindropuntia versicolor
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa
staghorn cholla
buck-horn cholla
6–8 per areole (1–2 bristlelike spines) increasing with time, well distributed along stem, slightly interlacing with spines of adjacent areoles, short;
abaxial spines usually reflexed, whitish, pinkish to red-brown, lightly flattened, the longest 10–18 mm;
adaxial spines erect or spreading, rich red-brown, gray coated basally, subterete, 6–11 mm;
sheaths grayish, tipped brown or yellow to golden Glochids in small adaxial tuft or crescent, dark yellow, to 1 mm.
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.
in inconspicuous to small adaxial tuft, yellow to brown, 0.5–2 mm.
inner tepals yellow-green, yellow to gold or bronze, or red to rose or magenta, spatulate, apiculate;
filaments yellowish green;
anthers yellow;
style whitish to pale bronze;
stigma lobes whitish.
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.
often proliferating, yellowish green or tinged red to purple, often stipitate, obovate, 25–40 × 10–20 mm, leathery-fleshy, tuberculate or smooth, essentially spineless;
tubercles prominent, at first, subequal in length or proximal ones longer, fertile ones swelling and becoming smooth;
umbilicus to 9 mm deep;
areoles 20–30.
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.
yellowish, polygonal in outline, warped, 3.5–5.5 × 2.5–5 mm, sides nearly flattened with depressions and protrusions to angular subspheric;
girdle smooth or in a groove.
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.
= 22.
Cylindropuntia versicolor
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa
Cylindropuntia versicolor forms hybrids with C. acanthocarpa var. major, C. arbuscula (= C. ×vivipara), C. leptocaulis (see discussion under 3. C. ×tetracantha), and C. spinosior (= C. ×grantiorum P. V. Heath). Cylindropuntia ×grantiorum, found in eastern to south-central Arizona, is intermediate between the parental species in values for the number of spines per stem areole, stem segment diameter and color, and fruit tubercles. The hybrids between C. versicolor and C. acanthocarpa var. major, which occur in south-central Arizona, have fleshy, tuberculate fruits, often with one or two short permanent spines at apex and longer and more numerous spines per stem areole.
Cylindropuntia versicolor itself may be of hybrid origin.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
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 |
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