Cane Cholla
Cylindropuntia spinosior
Nearly mature fruit of Cane Cholla, Cylindropuntia
spinosior, from Gila Co., Arizona, USA. This photograph is hosted at
Wikimedia where you can find more resources about
chollas.
SUCCULENT: Spiny cactus with long, straight, thick joints with prominent
tubercles. Large specimens up to three or more meters tall are not uncommon.
FLOWERS: Magenta/Pink. Sometimes yellow to greenish.
SPINES: Roughly a dozen or so tan to gray spines at each areole. 1-2 cm.
long. Few if any large spines on the fruit.
LEAVES: Fleshy linear leaves appear on new growth in the springbut are
quickly shed leaving green photosynthetic joints.
RANGE: Upland Sonoran Desert of Arizona pushing into chaparral and
grassland habitats. Hybridizes with other cholla species producing a lot of
integrading populations.
FRUIT: Prominent tubercles on fruit and joints. On maturity the
fruits become brown and dry.