Cylindropuntia leptocaulis

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Genus:	Cylindropuntia
Species:	C. leptocaulis
Binomial name
	Cylindropuntia leptocaulis; F.M.Knuth
Synonyms
	Opuntia leptocaulis DC.; Opuntia frutescens Engelm.

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis, the desert Christmas cactus, desert Christmas cholla, pencil cactus, or tasajillo, is a species of cholla cactus.

Distribution

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis is widely distributed in deserts, grasslands, chaparral, and woodlands in the Southwestern United States and several states in Northern Mexico.

Description

The shrubby Cylindropuntia leptocaulis plants reach .5 to 1.8 m (1.6 to 5.9 ft) tall, reaching the extreme height when supported within desert trees. Branches are narrow, 3–5 mm across. Spines 0-1 (occasionally as many as 3) at each areole. Flowers open in the late afternoon and are pale yellow or greenish yellow, with occasional red tips.[1]

Around December, the plant grows red berries that when consumed, can have an intoxicating effect. The fruits are crushed and mixed with a beverage by the Apache, Chiricahua, and Mescalero to produce narcotic effects. [2]

Gallery

Desert Christmas Cactus in Sahuarita, Arizona.
Desert Christmas Cactus fruit.

References

Anderson, Edward F. (2001). The cactus family. Portland, Or: Timber Press. p. 210. ISBN 0-88192-498-9.
Moerman, Daniel (1998). Native American Ethnobotany. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 367. ISBN 978-0-88192-453-4.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] Anderson, Edward F. (2001). The cactus family. Portland, Or: Timber Press. p. 210. ISBN 0-88192-498-9.

[2] Moerman, Daniel (1998). Native American Ethnobotany. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 367. ISBN 978-0-88192-453-4.