Staghorn Cholla
Cylindropuntia versicolor
Photographed in Pima Canyon, Sta. Catalina Mts., Pima Co., Arizona. Feb. 22, 2009.
SUCCULENT: Highly branched woody succulent often exceeding
three meters in height.
ARMED. The
areoles are set with spines (about 7 and mostly less than
2 cm long) and minute glochids.
LEAVES: Leaves are absent except on new spring growth where fleshy
leaves appear but are soon shed. The JOINTS are often tinged purple or reddish
and are typically 30 cm in length.
RANGE: This cholla appears commonly in the Sonoran Desert near Tucson
and ranges east and south from there - especially in the Chihuahuan Desert.
FLOWERS: As the species name implies, the flower color can vary widely
from green, yellow, maroon, orange and red!
FRUIT: Tubercles of fruit are usu. low. Fleshy-looking, yellow-green
fruit remain on plant through the winter season. turn yellowish at maturity.
Cholla species frequently form hybrids and so it is not uncommon to find specimens that are difficult to place to species. Many hybrids are named but they are not covered here.