Cylindropuntia
Sign in to saveAlso known as cholla, chollas
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.
Species
GENUS
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderCaryophyllales
- FamilyCactaceae
via GBIF · Kew POWO
Museum specimens
- Specimen records
- 434
- With media
- 352
- Family
- Cactaceae
- Collections
- FC-UNAM, CAS, IND, IBUNAM, ASU, DES
- Recorded in
- Mexico, United States
~5 min read
Encyclopedic overview
6 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Species
- Hybrids
- Cholla wood in pet trade
- References
- External links
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). 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.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Cylindropuntia” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.