Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. thornberi

(Thornber & Bonker) Backeberg

Cactaceae 1: 184. 1958.

Common names: Thornber cholla
Endemic
Basionym: Opuntia thornberi Thornber & Bonker Fantast. Clan, 133, 135 (fig.), 148. 1932
Synonyms: Opuntia acanthocarpa var. thornberi (Thornber & Bonker) L. D. Benson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 117. Mentioned on page 103, 116.

Shrubs, with few-to-many branches, at acute and obtuse angles. Stem segments gray-green, 10–25 (–50) cm; tubercles very prominent and broad, 2.5–4.5 cm. Spines 6–11 (–14) per areole, rarely interlacing with spines of adjacent areoles, yellow to deep redbrown, aging gray, not baggy sheathed; major abaxial spines usually deflexed and spreading. Flowers: inner tepals yellow to bronze. Fruits bearing few spines, sometimes spineless; areoles 12–20.2n = 22.


Phenology: Flowering mid-late spring (Apr–Jun).
Habitat: Sonoran and Mojave deserts, desert grasslands, chaparral transition areas, rocky hills, ridges
Elevation: 600-1500 m

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
subterete +  and flattened +
ascending-divergent +
gray +, tan +  and deep redbrown +
obtuse +  and acute +
cushionlike +
gray +  and tan +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
deciduous +  and persistent +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br />) +
12 +  and 20 +
elliptic +  and subcircular +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Donald J. Pinkava +
(Thornber & Bonker) Backeberg +
Opuntia thornberi +
few-to-many +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (3.8 cm38 mm <br />0.038 m <br />) +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
proliferating +
flattened +  and cylindric +
Thornber cholla +
600-1500 m +
salverform +, cup-shaped +  and rotate +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
indehiscent +
persistent +, long +  and deciduous +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
tuberculate +
obconic +  and ellipsoid +
dry +  and fleshy +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Sonoran and Mojave deserts, desert grasslands, chaparral transition areas, rocky hills, ridges +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
deciduous +
flattened +  and conic +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
succulent +
tuberculate +
fluted;spheric;depressed-spheric or club-shaped +
tinged color +
sometimes covered by outgrowths of proximal portion of style base or of flower tube wall +  and open +
persistent +  and deciduous +
Flowering mid-late spring (Apr–Jun). +
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
3;2;2;30 +
tuberlike +
pale-yellow +  and tan +
0.4mm;12mm +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
warped;squarish;angular +
0.19 cm1.9 mm <br />0.0019 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
tight-fitting +
not sheathed +
interlacing +
gray +, yellow +  and deep redbrown +
deciduous +  and persistent +
conspicuous +
Few (?) +, 6 (?) +  and 11 (?) +
flattened +
hard +  and rigid +
decurrent +
winged +  and unsegmented +
tuberculate +  and smooth +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
segmented +
woody +  and succulent +
white +  and light green +
white +  and light green +
Opuntia acanthocarpa var. thornberi +
adventitious +
tuberlike +
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. thornberi +
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa +
variety +
dull +  and glossy +
yellow +  and golden +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
200 cm2,000 mm <br />2 m <br /> (400 cm4,000 mm <br />4 m <br />) +
terrestrial;epiphytic or epipetric +
gray-black +, yellowish +  and tan +