Cylindropuntia

Cholla
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Opuntioideae
Tribe:
Genus:	Cylindropuntia; (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth
Species
	See text
Synonyms
	Opuntia (Cylindropuntia) Engelm.; Grusonia (Cylindropuntia) (Engelm.) G.D.Rowley;

Cylindropuntia is a genus of cacti (family Cactaceae), containing species commonly known as chollas, native to northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. They are known for their barbed spines that tenaciously attach to skin, fur, and clothing. Stands of cholla are called cholla gardens. Individuals within these colonies often exhibit the same DNA, as they were formerly tubercles of an original plant.

Taxonomy[]

Cylindropuntia was formerly treated as a subgenus of Opuntia, but have now been separated based on their cylindrical stems (Opuntia species have flattened stems) and the presence of papery epidermal sheaths on the spines (Opuntia has no sheaths).^[1] A few species of mat- or clump-forming opuntioid cacti are currently placed in the genus Grusonia. Collectively, opuntias, chollas, and related plants are sometimes called opuntiads.^[2]

The roughly 35 species of Cylindropuntia are native to the southwestern and south-central United States, Mexico, and the West Indies. The Flora of North America recognizes 22 species.^[3] Some species have been introduced to South America (Chile, Ecuador, Peru) and South Africa.^[3]

Species[]

As of July 2019, Plants of the World Online accepts the following species:^[4]

Scientific name^[a]	Common name	Picture
Cylindropuntia abyssi (Hester) Backeb.	Peach Springs cholla
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow	Buckhorn cholla
(F.A.C. Weber) F.M. Knuth	Clavellina cholla
(Pinkava) E.F. Anderson
(Engelm.) F.M. Knuth	Arizona pencil cholla
Cylindropuntia bigelovii (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth	Teddy-bear cholla
Cylindropuntia californica (Torr. & A.Gray) F.M.Knuth	California cholla Snake cholla Cane cholla
Cylindropuntia calmalliana (J.M.Coult.) F.M.Knuth
(Britton & Rose) F.M. Knuth
Rebman
(F.A.C. Weber) F.M. Knuth	Chain-link cholla
M.A.Baker & Cloud-H.
(Engelm. ex J.M.Coult.) F.M.Knuth
(Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow) F.M. Knuth
Cylindropuntia echinocarpa (Engelm. & Bigelow) F.M.Knuth	Silver cholla Golden cholla Wiggins' cholla
Cylindropuntia fosbergii (C.B. Wolf) Rebman, M.A. Baker & Pinkava	Hoffmann's teddybear cholla Pink teddy-bear cholla Mason Valley cholla
Cylindropuntia fulgida Engelm.	Jumping cholla Hanging chain cholla
Cylindropuntia ganderi (C.B. Wolf) Rebman & Pinkav	Gander cholla Gander's buckhorn cholla
(Griseb.) Areces
Cylindropuntia imbricata Haw. (DC.)	Cane cholla Walking stick cholla Tree cholla
(DC.) F.M. Knuth
Cylindropuntia leptocaulis F.M.Knuth	Desert Christmas cholla Tasajillo
Rebman
(Rebman) Rebman
Cylindropuntia molesta (Brandegee) F.M.Knuth	Agujilla
(Clokey) Backeb.
(C.B. Wolf) Backeb.
Cylindropuntia prolifera (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth	Coastal cholla
Cylindropuntia ramosissima (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth	Branched pencil cholla Diamond cholla
Cylindropuntia rosea (DC.) Backeb.
(Rebman) Rebman
(E.M. Baxter) Rebman
Cylindropuntia spinosior (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth	Tasajo cholla
(Engelm. ex J.M. Coult.) F.M. Knuth
(Engelm.) F.M. Knuth
Cylindropuntia tunicata (Lehm.) F.M.Knuth	Sheathed cholla
(Engelm. ex J.M. Coult.) F.M. Knuth	Staghorn cholla
Rebman
Cylindropuntia whipplei (Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow) F.M.Knuth	Rat-tail cholla^[5]
Cylindropuntia wolfii (L.D. Benson) J. Rebman – unplaced name	Wolf's cholla

Hybrids[]

Some hybrids are also known:^[4]

P.V.Heath
(M.A.Baker & Pinkava) M.A.Baker & Pinkava
(Griffiths) F.M.Knuth
(Griffiths) F.M.Knuth
(Griffiths) Pinkava
P.V.Heath
(V.E.Grant & K.A.Grant) P.V.Heath
(Griffiths) F.M.Knuth
(Rose) F.M.Knuth
(Toumey) F.M.Knuth
(Britton & Rose) F.M.Knuth
(Rose) F.M.Knuth

Cholla wood in pet trade[]

Dried, dead Cylindropuntia sections are called "cholla wood" and are popular in the pet trade. In aquariums they are immersed partly or entirely into the water for pets to swim through, and in terrariums and other terrestrial pet enclosures they are placed and propped up for climbing. In both cases they serve as a .

Notes[]

^ A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Cylindropuntia.

References[]

^ Pinkava, Donald J. (1999). "Cactaceae Cactus Family, Part Three: Cylindropuntia (Engelm.) Knuth Chollas". Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science. Arizona-Nevada Academy of Sciences. 32 (1, Vascular Plants of Arizona: Part 5): 32–47. JSTOR 40024914.
^ "Opuntia". Opuntiads.com. Opuntia Web. 2017.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 16+ vols. New York and Oxford.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Cylindropuntia (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
^ "Opuntia". Desert Tropicals. Philippe Faucon. 1998–2004.

External links[]

[5] A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Cylindropuntia.

[Pinkava-1] Pinkava, Donald J. (1999). "Cactaceae Cactus Family, Part Three: Cylindropuntia (Engelm.) Knuth Chollas". Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science. Arizona-Nevada Academy of Sciences. 32 (1, Vascular Plants of Arizona: Part 5): 32–47. JSTOR 40024914.

[2] "Opuntia". Opuntiads.com. Opuntia Web. 2017.

[FNA-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 16+ vols. New York and Oxford.

[POWO_956972-1-4] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Cylindropuntia (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2019-07-05.

[6] "Opuntia". Desert Tropicals. Philippe Faucon. 1998–2004.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[a]

[5]