Grusonia clavata
club-c holla
diffuse.
segments short-clavate, strongly narrowed at base, 2.5–5(–7.5) × 1.5–3 cm;
tubercles prominent, oval, 5–10(–16) mm, narrow, 4–6 times longer than wide, obscured by interlacing spines;
areoles 3 mm in diam.;
wool white to gray.
7–15 per areole, primarily in distal areoles;
major 3–5 abaxial spines deflexed, white, flattened, longest central spine daggerlike, broadly tapered, 12–35 × 1.5+ mm basally;
major 1–3 adaxial spines ascending, white, yellow to tan, angular-flattened to subterete.
in adaxial 1/4 of areole, yellowish white, ± 4 mm.
inner tepals bright yellow, to 25 mm;
filaments light yellow-green to white;
style and stigma lobes white.
yellow, barrel-shaped to ellipsoid, 30–45 × 15–25 mm, fleshy, spineless, densely ± yellow-glochidiate;
areoles 35–55.
yellowish white, 4.5 × 4 mm, smooth.
= 22.
Grusonia clavata
L. D. Benson (1982) mapped “Opuntia clavata” in northeast Arizona, but no supporting specimens have been found. The report may be based on low-growing specimens of Cylindropuntia whipplei, a cholla common in that area.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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