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Colorado buckhorn cholla

Scientific Name: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. coloradensis

Family: Cactaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Shrub

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa: Buckhorn Cholla

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa, commonly known as Buckhorn Cholla, is a cactus species found in the southwestern United States and Mexico.

Considerations for Pets

  • This cholla has spines that can be up to 1 inch long.

Considerations for Children

  • This cholla has spines that can be up to 1 inch long.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa (Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow) F.M. Knuth
  • Common Names: Buckhorn Cholla, Colorado Desert Cholla, Major Cholla, Thornber Cholla
  • Synonym: Opuntia acanthocarpa

Varieties and Subspecies:

  • Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. coloradensis (L.D. Benson) Pinkava - Colorado Buckhorn Cholla
  • Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa subsp. acanthocarpa var. coloradensis L.D. Benson
  • Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. ganderi (Gander's)

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to the southwestern United States and Mexico, specifically:
    • Southwestern Colorado
    • Western Arizona
    • Southern Nevada
    • Eastern California (Death Valley, Panamint Springs)
    • Select locations in Utah
  • Found across the Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert.
  • Can grow at elevations of 2000 meters or more.
  • Range extends from Colorado through Kansas and Oklahoma.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Can grow up to 2 meters tall.
  • Covered in silvery-yellow spines that are not too dense.
  • Mature fruits drop off long before the plant blooms.