Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var coloradensis
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa is a species of the genus Cylindropuntia in the cactus family ( Cactaceae ). The specific epithet acanthocarpa means (Latin acanthocarpus ) stachelfrüchtig '. English common names are " Buckhorn Cholla " and " Colorado Desert Cholla ".
Description
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa growing shrubby to tree-like, branched sparse to rich and reaches stature heights of 1 to 4 meters. In the cohesive, 10 to 50 inches long and 2 to 3 inches in diameter measured drive sections are clearly visible hump. The elliptical to circular white, yellow or tan bewollten areoles be grayish black in old age. They wear yellow to brown glochids standing together in inconspicuous tufts. The six to 20 spines, sometimes there are up to 30, appear mostly at the areoles near the tip. Occasionally, additional bristle-like spines are present. Your white to gray sheaths are tipped yellow. The round cross-section, ascending to spreading, yellow to tan to deep reddish brew main spines become gray in old age and are between 3.8 and 1.2 inches long. Basal main spines are often flattened in cross-section, bent downward to straddling and 1.2 to 3.5 inches long.
The bright yellow to bronze to brick- red flowers reach lengths of 2 to 3 centimeters. The dry, inverted conical ellipsoidal fruit is tan at maturity. You can wear spikes.
Systematics and distribution
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa is widely used in the United States in the states of California, Utah, Arizona and Nevada as well as in the neighboring Mexican state of Sonora.
The first description as Opuntia acanthocarpa by George Engelmann and John Milton Bigelow was published in 1856. Frederik Marcus Knuth introduced the type 1936 in the genus Cylindropuntia. We distinguish the following varieties:
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var acanthocarpa
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var coloradensis ( LDBenson ) Pijia
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var major ( Engelm. & JMBigelow ) Pijia
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var thornberi ( Thornber & Bonker ) Backeb.
Use
The flower buds are edible, the shoots are used medicinally.